Bellingham City Council opposes Eyman's I-1033, supports 'everything but marriage' law

SAM TAYLOR - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

E-Mail

Print Reprint

Text Size:

tool goes here

BELLINGHAM - In a fairly unsurprising session, City Council members passed resolutions opposing a government revenue-restricting initiative from Tim Eyman and backing a domestic partnership law.

The council unanimously, with Councilman Gene Knutson absent, approved a resolution opposing Eyman's Initiative 1033, which limits the growth of certain city, county and state revenue to the rate of inflation and population growth.

Members also, in a 5-0 vote with Councilman Stan Snapp abstaining, passed a resolution urging voters to approve Referendum 71, which would enact a domestic partnership law that has been dubbed the "everything but marriage" law.

Snapp abstained from the vote because, he argued, it was not the purview of the council to take up a personal decision of voters. Snapp was rebuked by Councilman Terry Bornemann, who argued that a rejection of R-71 would affect city employees in domestic partnerships and the council needed to support those staff members.

Snapp said he believed debating I-1033 and voting against it was valid for the council because it would have a direct effect on government coffers. Estimates by city officials put the loss of revenue between $5 million and $15 million over the next five years, depending on the growth rate of inflation and population.

Snapp acknowledged after the Monday, Oct. 12, meeting that he did vote for a resolution the council previously passed asking the federal government to not go to war with Iran, but he said that was more of a civil issue. Snapp also noted his oldest daughter is a lesbian who is in a domestic partnership and so the issue does affect him. Personally, he supports approval of R-71.

There was a small turnout for the council meeting, with about 30 people in attendance. All but two appeared to be supporters of the Approve Referendum 71 campaign. One man who spoke took no position on the issue and another, Scott Chambers, was the only resident in attendance to advocate for rejecting the resolution to support R-71.

"I am one that feels very strongly in religion," Chambers said. "I believe that God knows each one of us and loves us for who we are. But I do not believe that God loves some of the decisions that we make and do in our lives."

Others in attendance argued that domestic partnerships for gay couples as well as seniors had nothing to do with religion or morality.

"Our marriage is not stronger or weaker because other people don't have rights," said Bellingham's Larry Hildes, standing next to his wife, Karen Weill. "It's as strong or as weak as we make it ourselves. And our marriage is stronger because other people are free."