nikki, you had to ask why i won't go to Tejas...

[Guest guest]

here's as good an answer as any

 

Texas Voters Approve Ban on Gay Marriage

By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

 

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

 

 

 

Election 2005

Check election results

 

 

STATE

All 8 measures fail

Analysis: Guv weakened

 

Matier & Ross: Campaigns costly

 

Abortion measure loses

 

Spending cap measure fails

 

Union dues measure toppled

 

Redistricting prop goes down

 

Both drug plans lose

 

 

LOCAL

SF votes for handgun ban

SF, 3 other cities nix tax hikes

 

East Bay passes huge growth measures

 

Mixed results for bonds, parcel taxes

 

 

REGION

Bioengineered crop ban loses

Incumbents lead in Palo Alto

 

Voters' sour mood

 

 

NATIONAL

Dems win governors' races

Texas voters OK gay marriage ban

 

Intelligent design wins in Kansas

 

Elections page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(11-09) 00:26 PST (AP) --

 

 

Voters in Texas and Maine rendered a split verdict Tuesday on gay rights, while

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger — his popularity plummeting — suffered

a setback in his power struggle with public-employee unions and Democratic

legislators.

 

 

Californians rejected three measures promoted by the hard-campaigning

Schwarzenegger — to cap state spending, strip lawmakers of redistricting

powers and make teachers work five years instead of two to pass probation.

 

 

The last of the governor's four proposals would require public-employee unions

to get members' permission before their dues could be used for political

purposes. Returns there were too close to call.

 

 

" No matter what the results are ... tomorrow the victories and the losses will

be behind us, " Schwarzenegger said. " No matter what ... we're going to continue

to fight for California. "

 

 

Texas voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage,

making their state the 19th to take that step. In Maine, however, voters

rejected a conservative-backed proposal to repeal the state's new gay-rights

law.

 

 

The contest in Texas was lopsided; near-complete returns showed the gay-marriage

ban supported by about 76 percent of voters. Like every other state except

Massachusetts, Texas didn't permit same-sex marriages previously, but the

constitutional amendment was touted as an extra guard against future court

rulings.

 

 

" Texans know that marriage is between a man and a woman, and children deserve

both a mom and a dad. They don't need a Ph.D. or a degree in anything else to

teach them that, " said Kelly Shackelford, a leader Texans For Marriage, which

favored the ban.

 

 

Gay-rights leaders were dismayed by the outcome, but vowed to continue a

state-by-state battle for recognition of same-sex unions.

 

 

" The fight for fairness isn't over, and we won't give up, " said Joe Solmonese,

president of the Human Rights Campaign. " These amendments are part of a

long-standing effort by the extreme right to eliminate any legal recognition for

gay people and our families. "

 

 

In a local Texas election, voters in White Settlement, named 160 years ago after

white settlers moved into a mostly Indian area, emphatically rejected a proposal

to change the town's name to West Settlement. Some civic leaders felt the

traditional name should be changed to lure business investment; nearly 92

percent of voters disagreed.

 

 

In Maine, voters spurned a measure placed on the ballot by a church-backed

conservative coalition that would have repealed a gay-rights law approved by

lawmakers earlier this year. The lawmakers expanded the state's human rights act

to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, a step already taken by

the five other New England states.

 

 

In near-complete returns, about 55 percent of voters were opposing repeal of the

new law, which is broadly worded to protect transsexuals and transvestites as

well as gays and lesbians.

 

 

" This is such a much-needed victory for our national community, because we've

experienced so many losses, " said Matt Foreman, executive director of the

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. " We've got to press forward on

nondiscrimination protection, and not let marriage continue to swamp the

movement. "

 

 

California voters, in addition to voting on Schwarzenegger's measures, also were

deciding whether to require doctors to give a parent or guardian written notice

before performing an abortion on a minor. More than 30 states have laws

requiring parental notice or consent; the contest was neck-and-neck.

 

 

In Washington state, voters approved a measure expanding the state's ban on

indoor smoking to include bars, restaurants and non-tribal casinos.

 

 

New Jersey voters approved a proposal to have an elected lieutenant governor who

would take over if a sitting governor leaves office early. The measure was a

response to the gay sex scandal that drove former Gov. James McGreevey from

office and installed Senate President Richard Codey as acting governor even as

he retained his Senate duties. New Jersey has been one of eight states with no

lieutenant governor.

 

 

In Republican-governed Ohio, where the 2004 presidential election was marked by

complaints of unfair election practices, four election-overhaul measures backed

by Democratic-leaning groups were on the ballot, but all were defeated. One of

the failed items would have taken redistricting powers away from legislators.

 

 

" Just as nightfall does not come at once, neither

does oppression. In both instances there is a twilight. And it is in such

twilight

that we all must be aware of change in the air - however slight - lest we become

unwilling victims of the darkness. "

William O. Douglas

[Guest guest]

Twasn't asking ya to move there, just pick up a small child!

 

I'm not too keen on the Longhorn State myself

 

Nikki

 

, fraggle <EBbrewpunx@e...> wrote:

>

> here's as good an answer as any

>

> Texas Voters Approve Ban on Gay Marriage

> By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

>

[Guest guest]

my husbands father and granpa live in texas.

we go to visit for the holidays.

I wish to make no further comment about texas,

because it might be a very long email.

that being said I do know some vegans who live there.

 

 

 

, " earthstrm " <nikkimack@m...> wrote:

>

> Twasn't asking ya to move there, just pick up a small child!

>

>

> I'm not too keen on the Longhorn State myself

>

> Nikki

>

> , fraggle <EBbrewpunx@e...> wrote:

> >

> > here's as good an answer as any

> >

> > Texas Voters Approve Ban on Gay Marriage

> > By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

> >

>

[Guest guest]

www.govegantexas.org

 

yes but it is hard, to be a vegan in texas,

they even put ham in the beans.

 

my husband and I were desperatly hungry one time, on our way to

california, from ny, we stopped in texas.

and went into

any old restaurant that looked halfway decent, we ordered

Plain spaghetti and we took it for granted that the spaghetti sauce

was marinara,

boy where we upset when the waitress brings in spaguetti sauce with

chunks of meat.

 

she exchanged it for another.

 

 

, " earthstrm " <nikkimack@m...> wrote:

>

> Twasn't asking ya to move there, just pick up a small child!

>

>

> I'm not too keen on the Longhorn State myself

>

> Nikki

>

> , fraggle <EBbrewpunx@e...> wrote:

> >

> > here's as good an answer as any

> >

> > Texas Voters Approve Ban on Gay Marriage

> > By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

> >

>