Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Ineffective Political Action ETA Not So Ineffective!

I got an email from the HRC last night urging me to email all 76 Utah state reps and ask them to oppose amending Senate Bill 199. Since I haven't been involved in Utah politics for awhile, I was unfamiliar with the bill but apparently the original, unamended bill would allow domestic partners in SLC to keep their domestic partner benefits although it would change the name of the registry. The amendment would make it illegal for a city to define domestic partners or benefit participants (something like that. Like I said, I'm out of Utah politics). I'd already had some wine and had nothing better to do so I emailed them all (please note that it's probably illegal, or at least very pointless, for me to do so as a nonresident) and asked them to vote against the amendment.
I remember from my old letter-writing days (pre 2004 when I gave entirely) about how nervous I was to write letters, especially to Utah Reps because I could just imagine the awful responses I could and did get--from what Utah families "are" to how it cannot be a priority to think of water management. But by emailing all 76, I realized that although 15 or even 25 would or could write heinous responses to me about their distaste for anything outside their realms of known experience, I realized that there might be at least that many who might not have such a strong response. Ones who might care what someone might say.
We'll see. I've already had one request for my address (which of course I coudln't send) and another telling me to stick it. But one person did say "thanks. This adds to my reasons to vote against." And so I say yay!

ETA:
From a rep!
Thank you for contacting me about this amendment. I share your concerns and voted against it. I am pleased to let you know that it failed.

Best Wishes,
Representative Karen Morgan

5 comments:

Dr Write said...

yeah! A response! It's nice to know it failed. Thanks Karen Morgan! Also, I don't like those odds. 76? I don't know that I could write that many. But I'm glad you did.
Inspiring!!

Lisa B. said...

Way to go, you, for writing and how gratifying to (a) get a positive response and (b) win the day. So very unlike my attempts to end torture and the Iraq War through letter-writing. Orrin Hatch's letters almost never tell me he voted the way I wanted him to--just so you know.

Lisa

Valerie said...

Thank you for standing up for those of us that don't write letters. Oh, but the liquor law changes did pass. No more sidecars... but 1 ounce and 1/2! So, we are still fucked.

P said...

i have to send you my letter to my reps and all members of the board of education. we are not getting a cost of living raise but all the members of the board AND the superintendants are. Screw not being able to drink sidecars or expect utah to be non-republican. Teachers and all union workers are getting f=ed by corporate AND civil servants. Cops and teachers and our men and women in the military are and will be for ever screwed by the government and corperations.

Anonymous said...

thank you for writing. As a person who lives in the city and will get to register... well, the registry itself is more a symbolic thing than a real thing, but it's a symbolic thing that means something to me. Ha HA! Senator Buttars! EAT THIS!

So thanks. Seriously.