Deja Vu Diss: SJR 20 HJR 9

[Edited on March 21, because it's HJR 9, not SJR 9.]

Quick folks, get the torches and pitchforks! Time to whip the extreme right wing base into a froth about the very existence of gay people!

Time to spend $1.2 million on an advisory vote to decide whether to put a striking bit of anti-gay legislation on the ballot in November, but if Alaskans (a frequently Libertarian bunch) demur, get it onto the ballot in November anyway!

So, apparently, what with my subconscious moratorium on/break from state politics, I missed this one completely. Thanks to Deidre for posting on the newest bit of legislative poison cosponsored by Representatives John Coghill Jr., John Harris, Vic Kohring, Peggy Wilson, Bob Lynn, Carl Gatto, Nancy Dahlstrom, Mike Kelly, Mark Neuman, Bill Thomas Jr., and Bill Stoltze.
I'm referring, of course, to House Joint Resolution 9, introduced on March 12, which is yet another proposal to amend the Constitution thusly:

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 20 9

01 Proposing an amendment to the section of the Constitution of the State of Alaska                                        
02 relating to marriage.                                                                                                   
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04    * Section 1. Article I, sec. 25, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended to read:                          
05            Section 25. Marriage and related limitations. To be valid or recognized in                               
06       this State, a marriage may exist only between one man and one woman. No other                                 
07       union is similarly situated to a marriage between a man and a woman and,                                      
08       therefore, a marriage between a man and a woman is the only union that shall be                               
09       valid or recognized in this State and to which the rights, benefits, obligations,                             
10       qualities, or effects of marriage shall be extended or assigned.                                              
11    * Sec. 2. The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be placed before the voters of the                       
12 state at the next general election in conformity with art. XIII, sec. 1, Constitution of the State                      
13 of Alaska, and the election laws of the state.          

If it looks familiar, that would be because they're trotting out the same proposed constitutional amendment that failed so miserably last year. In fact, it was one of the first things I posted about when paying attention to the world beyond my junky little cabin drove me to blogging in April of last year.

The bill has been referred to the State Affairs, Judiciary and Finance Committees.

How ironic that in the invocation that opened the day's business, the Reverend Dr. John Zimmerman of Chapel by the Lake Presbyterian Church led a prayer that began:

"In deepest respect for the religious beliefs of each person here, I invite you into a time of prayer and reflection. Let us pray. Eternal and Gracious God, grant that the members of this House, elected by the choice of the people of their districts, may do the people's work well this day. May they never lose sight of the concerns of all citizens, especially those hidden by distance or circumstance. May their work be marked by the standard of justice for all people."

How distinctly Christian-sounding, in a New Testament sense.

The cynic in me, after recovering from a nearly fatal bout of eyerolling, wonders whether Coghill and his cosponsors introduced this bit of crap again in anticipation of the April 3rd advisory vote failing - so they could still get the same nonsense on the ballot in November 3rd anyway, and have ample time to whip the most extreme right sheeple into a froth and therefore to the polls?