A Glaring Omission

On Thursday, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, who plans to run for governor this fall, criticized lawmakers on Beacon Hill for focusing on what she called “the wrong priorities.” Actually, I (gulp) agree with Healey. “We have extremely important bills before the Legislature right now like the comprehensive health care reform, and instead we’re talking about vending machines and taking candy away from children,” Healey argued, accusing our legislators of dragging their feet on issues like health care reform, domestic violence, and witness protection, because they’ve been too busy wasting time on less significant matters.

You mean like denying marriage rights to same-sex couples? It seems to me that Healey’s accusation would pack a lot more punch had she not omitted the biggest waste of time to occupy Beacon Hill in recent years. How much time (and taxpayer money) was wasted pushing forward a legislative amendment that would have reversed the November 2003 Goodridge decision recognizing the right of same-sex couples to marry in Massachusetts? Healey, who is dead set against marriage equality, supported the amendment arguing:

“I have consistently supported the current amendment... because I think it strikes a good balance. It recognizes that marriage is between one man and one woman, but also provides a legal framework for the protection of same-sex couples... I don’t think judicial activism is the right way to make these very large social changes. I would like to see the Legislature act on behalf of the people.”

In other words, when the courts issue a perfectly legitimate decision with which you happen to disagree, go ahead and waste everyone’s time and money trying to have a perfectly valid court decision reversed on Beacon Hill. Forget about universal healthcare, people! We’ve got semantics to argue over and an institution to protect!

And it’s not over yet. Although the Travaglini/Lees Amendment was ultimately defeated last September, lawmakers on Beacon Hill will have to put aside their work drafting legislation reforming health care, protecting families from domestic violence, and tackling the recent wave of gun violence, in order to debate an initiative petition filed last fall, which would place on the November 2008 ballot an even more virulent constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Before it goes before the voters, however, it will have to be approved by the Legislature in not one, but two sessions. Talk about the wrong priorities.

Healey makes a good point about the Legislature’s sometimes wacky priorities. However, by leaving out what is arguably the most screwy priority to occupy lawmakers on Beacon Hill in recent years, she opens herself up to the charge of hypocrisy and comes away looking disingenuous and not a little stupid. If the Republicans have taught us one thing though, it’s that looking disingenuous and stupid doesn’t necessarily prevent one from being elected to public office.