PENNSYLVANIA: Sims & McCarter Call On Gov. Corbett To Give Up Like Christie

Just in via press release:

State Reps. Brian Sims, D-Phila., and Steve McCarter, D-Montgomery/Phila., sponsors of a Pennsylvania marriage-equality bill, called on Gov. Tom Corbett to follow the lead of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in dropping his appeal to legalized same-sex marriages in New Jersey.

“Once again, we’re seeing that even conservative Republicans are realizing that all Americans deserve equal rights,” Sims said. “Unfortunately, here in Pennsylvania, where LGBT Pennsylvanians lack even a single LGBT civil right, some members of the Republican Party would sooner be the Republicans of 1955 rather than 2025. It’s unconscionable that Pennsylvanians who get married out of state can still be fired for putting a wedding photo on their desks.”

“It’s a black eye on the state of Pennsylvania that nearly all of our neighboring states have decided to enter the 21st century and grant equality to all their citizens, yet we still are stuck in the Stone Age,” McCarter said. “Plain and simple, the fact that Pennsylvanians can now cross a border and be granted more rights than they currently have in their own state is a problem that needs to be addressed and it needs to be addressed now.”

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Two weeks ago Corbett filed a brief claiming that he is exempt from the marriage suit filed in federal court by the ACLU. Three days earlier he compared same-sex marriage to incest during an interview with a Harrisburg television station. In early September he hired an expensive outside firm to defend the state against the ACLU's case after state Attorney General Kathleen Kane refused to take the case. In August he filed an ultimately successful suit to halt the issuing of marriage licenses by Montgomery County Clerk Bruce Hanes.

Brian Sims Announces PA Marriage Bill

Towleroad has the transcript of Sims' speech. An excerpt:

“The majority of Pennsylvanians now support marriage equality, and that support continues to grow,” Sims said. “Neighboring states, including New York, Maryland and Delaware, have all decided to be on the right side of history and have granted equal rights to their LGBT citizens. The time has come for Pennsylvania’s legislature to stand up and let our citizens know we see them as truly equal members of society and they have the right to choose whom they marry. With the Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act, it became apparent that Pennsylvania cannot continue to be stuck in the past. This is a civil rights issue facing our LGBT community. Furthermore, this issue is holding back Pennsylvania’s economy. People and businesses are seeing states that have true marriage equality as more attractive to them, and they’re spending their money in those states. This lack of equality is holding us back. Where are we at in our government where you lose rights by crossing a border?”

PENNSYLVANIA: Sims And McCarter To Introduce Marriage Equality Bill Today

Back in late June, openly gay Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims announced his plan to introduce a marriage equality bill. That happens today.

State Reps. Brian Sims and Steve McCarter, both Philadelphia Democrats, will announce the introduction of the Pennsylvania Marriage Equality Act during a news conference today at 10 a.m. in LOVE Park. Despite staunch opposition from Gov. Corbett and conservatives, the legislators said they are encouraged by recent action in the state, and that more than 30 lawmakers have signed on to the bill as co-sponsors. "It was really in June when Rep. McCarter and I, who've been talking about this for a while, took the lay of the land and found our colleagues were ready to support this issue," Sims said. "We've been seeing this growing support, so it's the right time."

Today's action happens as two separate marriage equality lawsuits, one brought by the ACLU, the other by Montgomery County Clerk Bruce Hanes, head for the state Supreme Court. The Sims/McCarter bill will be Pennsylvania HB 1686.

PENNSYLVANIA: Rep. Steve McCarter Explains Plan For Marriage Equality Bill

McCarter is the bill's chief co-sponsor with openly gay Rep. Brian Sims. Separate from the legislative action, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has hired an outside law firm to defend the state against a marriage equality suit filed in July by the ACLU.  And Montgomery County's attorney is expected to appeal the decision forcing County Clerk Bruce Hanes to stop issuing licenses. It's busy in PA.

Quote Of The Day - Rep. Steve McCarter

"What is wrong with this Governor and his administration? The comparison of the marriage of adult same sex couples to the marriage of twelve year olds is not only disgusting, but without comprehension of the issue. Same sex couples live in our communities. They have children that go to our schools. They are active participants in every aspect of our cities, towns and boroughs. They work and pay taxes. In fact, they are making great financial sacrifices by staying in Pennsylvania instead of moving to Maryland or Delaware. Coming on the day of the 50th anniversary of the greatest civil rights march and speech in our history, these hurtful and insensitive words from the administration make it clear that the Governor will never understand the struggle that is ongoing to give equal rights to LGBT friends and neighbors. I am absolutely astounded!" - Pennsylvania state Rep. Steve McCarter, referring to yesterday's brief filed on behalf of Gov. Tom Corbett.

RELATED: Corbett's spokesman has issued a statement denouncing his own legal team for the language in the brief.

Speaking for Corbett, who is on vacation in South Carolina, Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, spokesman for the Office of General Counsel, said the analogy was being taken out of context through a campaign of misinformation by the governors detractors. The reference to 12-year-olds was only meant to illustrate one group that is prohibited from marrying under state law, he said. But it's an analogy, the governor feels was inappropriate, Hagen-Frederiksen said. The governor never said it or wrote it, Hagen-Frederiksen said, but his detractors are acting like he did. So Corbett wants to clear his name and wants the public to know, he doesn't agree with it and he thinks it was an inappropriate analogy, Hagen-Frederiksen said. "That's coming form the governor's mouth," he said. Political enemies of the Republican administration spent a good part of Thursday trumpeting the 12-year-old reference as an alleged act of bias.