Rep. Fossel Disappointed by Failure of Bill to Equalize Legal Rights for Domestic Partners

AUGUSTA – The Legislature’s Judiciary Committee today rejected a bill designed to guarantee equal rights for domestic partners; and the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Les Fossel, said he is disappointed by the failure to find common ground amid a controversial proposal to legalize same-sex marriage in Maine.

“I had hoped to provide a reasonable middle ground,” said Rep. Fossel (R-Alna). “I understand emotions are running high over the same-sex marriage issue. My bill, LD 1118, would have extended to registered domestic partners the same rights and benefits that accompany traditional marriage. But I think the sides have already formed. Legislators on both sides want an up-or-down vote on LD 1020, without considering my alternative.”

LD 1020, the bill to legalize same-sex marriage, passed the committee later in the day, with 11 members in favor, two members opposed, and one member who proposed an amendment to send the issue to the voters.

In the early afternoon, before the committee vote on LD 1020, Rep. Fossel provided his testimony on his bill. He explained that his legislation could avoid an emotional division in the Legislature at a time when cohesion and cooperation are needed to deal with a budget gap estimated to be almost $600 million.

“I believe that when lawmakers are grappling with the budget, when we’re making difficult decisions about the funding of programs, the last thing we need is unnecessary debate on divisive social issues,” he said in a prepared statement. He predicted that LD 1020 will “drive legislators further apart at a critical moment.” If passed by the Legislature, he added, it could be repealed by a citizens’ referendum next November.

He explained that his bill, “An Act to Expand Rights for Maine Families,” would improve the lives of hundreds of Maine families. “Many couples choose to register as domestic partners for a variety of reasons,” he said. “They deserve the same rights as their married relatives, friends and neighbors. The State of Maine should not be in the business of punishing its citizens based on what legal status they choose for their relationship.

“It is my hope,” he continued, “that equal rights for domestic partners will be considered a reasonable policy that many, inside the State House and across our state, will support. I am pleased that, at the federal level, the president agrees with this approach. On the White House website, President Obama endorses ‘legislation that would ensure that the 1,100-plus federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally recognized unions.’ ”

Rep. Fossel said it is unjust to treat domestic partners as second-class citizens. “It is not fair to view the expansion of their legal rights as merely an unacceptable compromise, or an alternative plan or a political strategy,” he said. “Looking for solutions rather than problems is a long-standing Maine tradition. The president embraced this approach in his campaign, and I hope that the 124th Legislature does not abandon it in Augusta.”