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Rhode Island HB7990

Tell the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee: "No Gay Divorce"

The Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee is holding hearings on legislation that will legalize gay-divorce in Rhode Island. HB 7990 would recognize gay-marriage in Rhode Island for the purpose of divorce. HB 7990 clearly opens the door for the full-recognition of homosexual marriage in Rhode Island.

Tell the RI House Judiciary Committee to reject this obvious attempt to recognize homosexual-marriage.

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Message Recipients

Palumbo, Peter (Democrat) - Deputy Majority Leader , Rhode Island House District 16 , RI

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Flaherty, Robert (Democrat) - Representative , Rhode Island House District 23 , RI

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Ajello, Edith (Democrat) - Representative , Rhode Island House District 03 , RI

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Lally, Donald (Democrat) - Deputy Majority Leader , Rhode Island House District 33 , RI

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Newberry, Brian (Republican) - Representative , Rhode Island House District 48 , RI

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DeSimone, John (Democrat) - Deputy Majority Leader , Rhode Island House District 05 , RI

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O'Neill, J. Patrick (Democrat) - Representative , Rhode Island House District 59 , RI

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DaSilva, Roberto (Democrat) - Representative , Rhode Island House District 63 , RI

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Martin, Peter (Democrat) - Representative , Rhode Island House District 75 , RI

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Subject:*

Dear (recipient name),

As a concerned citizen of Rhode Island I urge you to reject House Bill 7990, an act that would recognize homosexual marriages performed in other states for the purposes of divorce in Rhode Island.  Our State has held its ground in New England, and stands with 45 out of 50 other states in protecting the unique nature of marriage between a man and a woman.  HB 7990 would significantly erode this protection and surely pave the way for full-recognition of homosexual marriage in our State.

Beside my concern for the unique nature of marriage between a man and a woman, I respectfully offer the following points for your consideration:

a.  Why must Rhode Island alter its laws in order to solve a legal quagmire created in other states?  I would suggest that the Rhode Island legislature urge its counterparts in states that do recognize homosexual marriage to amend their divorce laws to resolve the issue those states created.

b.  There is also the issue of legal consistency.  The Full Faith and Credit Clause of the United States Constitution has never required states to extend comity to all forms of licensure within its own borders.  If Rhode Island were to recognize homosexual marriage licenses from all jurisdictions regardless of standing under Rhode Island law, should we not do the same for others licenses, such as the license to practice law or those pertaining to guns?  At present those who wish to practice law in Rhode Island must sit for the Rhode Island Bar Exam and our State offers no reciprocity when it comes to gun licensure.

c.  Finally,  it is simply untrue that homosexual couples “married” in other states have no recourse to dissolve their “marriages.”  Nothing stopped them from crossing the border to obtain something they could not get in Rhode Island, and in reality nothing is stopping them from doing the same thing again.

Thank you for considering my concerns.  I ask you to reject HB 7990 and keep Rhode Island free from the legal entanglements and confusion created by other states.

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