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Loading ...R.I. gov. vetoes gay funeral rights bill
Rhode Island legislators learned yesterday that Gov. Carcieri vetoed the gay funeral rights bill that passed in October.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Rhoda Perry and state Rep. David Segal, would have added “domestic partners” to the list of people legally authorized to make funeral, cremation or burial arrangements for their deceased partners. Heterosexual married couples already have these rights.The Providence Journal reported that the bill was proposed after one man was unable to retrieve the body of his late partner from the state medical examiner for weeks because they weren’t married or next-of-kin.
Gov Carcieri’s veto message, said:
“This bill represents a disturbing trend over the past few years of the incremental erosion of the principles surrounding traditional marriage, which is not the preferred way to approach this issue.
“If the General Assembly believes it would like to address the issue of domestic partnerships, it should place the issue on the ballot and let the people of the state of Rhode Island decide.”
The bill defined a domestic partner as someone who was in an “exclusive, intimate and committed relationship” with the deceased person and had lived with them for at least a year. The bill also said the couple had to be financially “interdependent” by joint mortgage, shared credit card or domestic partnership contract.
Gov. Carcieri said the bill would allow the decisions of a “partner” of a year to take precedence over “traditional family members.” He said a “one year time period is not a sufficient duration to establish a serious bond between two individuals.”
Rep. Segal said Carcieri took his opposition to same-sex marriage too far. He and Sen. Perry plan to override the veto.
Segal also said, “‘I think the man is heartless and this has become a bad joke that has carried on for far too long.”
Governor Carcieri also vetoed 22 other bills on Tuesday.
what an ass
Does Rhode Island law allow this doofus of a governor to be recalled? No one this vicious should remain in office.
I hope that when the time comes, all the gays in R.I. line up and piss on this dink’s grave!
Shame on you, gov.!!
Veto power was never intended to be used in support of a governor’s or president’s personal views on any single issue. The assembly’s or congress or whomever runs the legislative branch of state or federal governments are the peoples representatives and make the laws. It is the governors job to sign these bills into law unless there is a VERY good reason not to. Personal opinion, religious convictions or just a whim, on a given issue is NOT a good enough reason to block legislation, liberal OR conservative. This is a subversion of our political process in my opinion and represents a kind of dictatorship. Before the “peanut gallery” goes off, I’m not say he cannot, because he obviously has the “technical” right to do so, he just should not ethically. It’s not the intention of the veto. It’s an emergency power, not a way to subvert the will of the people.
As for this particular veto? Disgusting. A five minute relationship followed by a drunken Vegas drive through wedding is long enough for heterosexuals to be considered “next of kin”, but a year is not long enough to collect your loved ones body from the morgue if you are gay? Of course, he uses the “year” forgetting there are thousands who have been together far longer than that also affected. Ethically a blatent abuse of power.
That is another example of the sickness of the Self-Righteous…. And I agree 100% with Michaelandfred
Great discussion here so far tonight. As has been suggested already, even though the constitution doesn’t specifically make rules regarding religious institutions, the tax exempt status is there for one very good reason. The undue influence church’s and their representatives have, or could have, on politics. We see over and over again how the average preacher, minister, priest, rabbi…what have you, can twist and turn his religion to suit his own personal agenda and people take it as fact. Preacher said it, it must be true. My church says it, it must be true. Especially since historically, the role of preacher/priest was also educator or the only outreach to the poor and less educated among us. (Especially true when this country was founded). How much more dangerous then when these people/institutions delve into politics and preach from the pulpit to a captive audience on issues that go beyond religion and into the legislative process.
This is the reason why we have made such strict rules about the non involvement of church’s into the realm of politics. An easily influenced captive audience told their “soul” or place in the afterlife hinges on them following this persons or institutions view of a specific subject.
What a bunch of bullcrap.
‘He said a “one year time period is not a sufficient duration to establish a serious bond between two individuals.”’
A man and a woman can meet and get married on a drunken spree. If one dies the day after the wedding, the other one has the legal right to claim the body and to plan the funeral.
Sorry governor, it won’t fly.
For some reason, this has me even more angry than what happened in Maine or California. What the hell does this rabid scumf*ck of a human being think he’s doing?
He’s right in one respect. One year is rarely enough time to establish a serious bond between two individuals, whether they’re gay or straight. However, one assumes that it is rare for a couple to meet, move in together and begin sharing financial burdens in the space of a few days. One hopes that a serious bond exists between two people before they even begin to live together, and that the act of cohabitation is intended to further deepen that bond.
Sure, there are gay couples who move in together far too soon, but I have to believe, based on common sense and experience, that they are the exception rather than the rule. In most cases, I’m sure, the couple have dated, developing a serious bond over the course of a year, or even several years, before they even move in together, and then they still have another year to wait before they are formally recognized as domestic partners.
And even if I’m wrong, even if they have not developed what Governor F*cknut considers a “serious bond”, such a bond is not required for straight couples to marry, for them to assume the rights of next of kin, so why does he think he has the right to determine how long a same-sex couple should be together before they share a bond.
The reason I can stomach what happened in Maine and California is because I know there was more going on than just blind hatred. There was fear. There was confusion. There were lies. And not everyone voted against gay marriage because they are homophobic.
This I cannot stomach because there is no fear, no confusion, no lies, just clear, unashamed hatred.
And having seen the list of the Bills he vetoed on the same day, some of which also relate to civil rights (including a law that would require police to tape record interrogations where the suspect is or may be charged with an offense carrying a potential life sentence, thus reducing the risk of miscarriages of justice thanks to over-enthusiastic police officers), this despicable creature should be driven from office immediately.
What a hateful and sad man. The morality requirement to be governor of Rhode Island is obviously quite low. His opponent will get a campaign contribution from me. I suggest everyone else does the same.
This is sick. Not even letting them die they won’t. Shame on you and may he feel the pain in his heart that he is brought to so many with this.
time for those in Rhode Island to vote to take away Mr. Carcieri’s right to veto these issues.
That is horrible! I didn’t know that these rights were denied to same-sex partners! OMG That is just sick! I don’t even know what to say. I can’t believe that these rights are denied to us! Gay people now aren’t allowed the right to even have a funeral!
Sweetkisses Said: “Gay people now aren’t allowed the right to even have a funeral!”
I’m not sure if you’re misunderstanding or if you’ve just phrased that poorly, but for the sake of clarity gay people are still allowed a funeral. As powerful as the Governor of Rhode Island might think he is, that’s one right he can’t take away from us.
This veto does not prevent gay men and women from having a funeral. It does not prevent the partners of gay men and women from making the funeral arrangements for their partners providing certain arrangements are made to make their partner their next of kin – not sure how it works in Rhode Island, but in some places a Will can legally designate a same-sex partner as next of kin, and in other places certain documentation is needed.
However, this veto does prevent a same-sex partner with domestic partner status from automatically having the right to make funeral arrangements for their partner, or even claiming their body in the event of their death.
This means that their legal next of kin, usually their parents, will have to make the arrangements. In families where they are accepting of their child’s sexuality and partner, this means the deceased’s partner will need to work with their partner’s parents to make the arrangements. This would be upsetting enough, but in cases where the parents or other next of kin is not accepting of their child’s sexuality and/or partner it can mean complete exclusion from the funeral arrangements and possibly exclusion from the funeral itself.
In short, the veto will not prevent gay people from having a funeral, but it will, in many cases, prevent their partner from having direct control over the arrangements. There are ways around it, documents that can be signed, but why should anyone have to go to this trouble when such rights are automatically available to straight couples?
You’re right to be outraged, but make sure you’re outraged about the right thing.
There’s nothing good to be said about this man. How low can they go?
God is Good, get back on the meds. No one is interested in your hate-filled bullsh*t.