Representative Don Humason



INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE By Representative Don Humason, Jr. June 16, 2007 The House and Senate met in Constitutional Convention on Thursday. The atmosphere was electric. The tension was palpable. But everyone knew in an instant, when the Senate President called for the Senators to take their roll call vote, what the outcome of the vote would be. It was 45 to 151. The question would not be passing on to the ballot. When I ran for office in 2002, I never imagined the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Senate would be so consumed debating the institution of marriage in this state. I ran fully expecting to advocate for great institutions like Westfield State College, Western Massachusetts Hospital, the Holyoke Soldiers Home, etc. But then, in November of 2003, the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled in a 4-3 split, called the Goodrich Decision, that Massachusetts must issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. This drastically altered the institution of marriage in the Bay State. Some people were very pleased with the SJC decision. Hundreds of gay couples got married in Massachusetts almost immediately. By some accounts, the decision was a good one for our economy and for tourism on Cape Cod as many gay couples chose to get married there. The Department of Public Health said 24 gay couples from Westfield have gotten married. Many people were very alarmed at the judicial activism that changed an institution as fundamental as that of marriage. To these people, marriage was and had always been the joining of one man to one woman. Even more than that, they were concerned that a court had made the changes without regard to the will of the people. A group called VoteOnMarriage.org collected over 170,000 signatures across the state in an initiative petition to put a question on the state ballot amending the Constitution to say: “When recognizing marriages entered into after adoption of this amendment by the people, the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.” My position is this: I was raised by my parents and by my church to believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. That is my personal position and the position of the vast majority of people in Westfield. Regardless of what detractors may say about me I do not hate homosexuals. I simply disagree with them. I would not be doing my job if I disregarded both my own personal beliefs and the will of the majority of the people of my district, hundreds of whom contacted me. I believe it is the people, and their elected officials in the Legislature, not the courts, who have traditionally defined marriage. I believe the people should have the right to vote on this question. This has been a lengthy, contentious, and heated debate. The wrangling behind the scenes on Beacon Hill has been monumental. As a legislator caught up in this historical movement, it has been both fascinating and extremely difficult. My pro-traditional marriage position has definitely cost me. One of my oldest and longest friends will no longer speak with me. Our friendship has been a casualty of this emotionally charged battle. While I deeply regret this, I must still do what I think is right, both personally and for my constituents. After many recesses and parliamentary maneuvers, I am grateful to the leadership for finally allowing this question to come to a vote by the Legislature. Now, the people will have to decide whether their elected representatives did right by them. This chapter is over. Legislators will now be able to move on to other topics. But I am certain that in my tenure as Westfield’s State Representative I will not again see an issue come before us that is so highly polarizing. Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us
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INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE

By Representative Don Humason, Jr.

June 16, 2007

The House and Senate met in Constitutional Convention on Thursday.

The atmosphere was electric. The tension was palpable. But everyone knew in an instant, when the Senate President called for the Senators to take their roll call vote, what the outcome of the vote would be. It was 45 to 151. The question would not be passing on to the ballot.

When I ran for office in 2002, I never imagined the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Senate would be so consumed debating the institution of marriage in this state. I ran fully expecting to advocate for great institutions like Westfield State College, Western Massachusetts Hospital, the Holyoke Soldiers Home, etc.

But then, in November of 2003, the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled in a 4-3 split, called the Goodrich Decision, that Massachusetts must issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. This drastically altered the institution of marriage in the Bay State.

Some people were very pleased with the SJC decision. Hundreds of gay couples got married in Massachusetts almost immediately. By some accounts, the decision was a good one for our economy and for tourism on Cape Cod as many gay couples chose to get married there. The Department of Public Health said 24 gay couples from Westfield have gotten married.

Many people were very alarmed at the judicial activism that changed an institution as fundamental as that of marriage. To these people, marriage was and had always been the joining of one man to one woman. Even more than that, they were concerned that a court had made the changes without regard to the will of the people.

A group called VoteOnMarriage.org collected over 170,000 signatures across the state in an initiative petition to put a question on the state ballot amending the Constitution to say: “When recognizing marriages entered into after adoption of this amendment by the people, the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”

My position is this: I was raised by my parents and by my church to believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. That is my personal position and the position of the vast majority of people in Westfield.

Regardless of what detractors may say about me I do not hate homosexuals. I simply disagree with them. I would not be doing my job if I disregarded both my own personal beliefs and the will of the majority of the people of my district, hundreds of whom contacted me.

I believe it is the people, and their elected officials in the Legislature, not the courts, who have traditionally defined marriage. I believe the people should have the right to vote on this question.

This has been a lengthy, contentious, and heated debate. The wrangling behind the scenes on Beacon Hill has been monumental. As a legislator caught up in this historical movement, it has been both fascinating and extremely difficult.

My pro-traditional marriage position has definitely cost me. One of my oldest and longest friends will no longer speak with me. Our friendship has been a casualty of this emotionally charged battle. While I deeply regret this, I must still do what I think is right, both personally and for my constituents.

After many recesses and parliamentary maneuvers, I am grateful to the leadership for finally allowing this question to come to a vote by the Legislature. Now, the people will have to decide whether their elected representatives did right by them.

This chapter is over. Legislators will now be able to move on to other topics. But I am certain that in my tenure as Westfield’s State Representative I will not again see an issue come before us that is so highly polarizing.

Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group