State Rep. Greg Harris posted a status update to his Facebook page:
Greg Civil Union bill HB2234 just approved by Committee 4-3. It now goes to the full House for a vote.
Harris adds that the Mormon churches have “pulled out all the stops” to fight passage of this bill. “Illinois, it appears, will be the next national battleground after California.”
Everyone has suddenly discovered Twitter. The Inland Press Association recently profiled some journalists who are using the social networking site to tell the world what they’re doing, 140 characters at a time.
Pols are “tweeting” as well. During President Obama’s address to Congress, many Republicans were caught tweeting, some sounding intelligent, some juvenile.
LOL.
Well, Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica has discovered Twitter also. With a bit more than 600 followers as of right now, according to the Sun-Times, Tony has taken up Twitter, tweeting from County Board meetings.
Last month, Peraica started posting short messages — called “tweets” — during board meetings about everything from contract votes and political bickering to his opinions and wisecracks in 140 characters or less.
With a few strokes of the keyboard, he’s part legislator, part reporter and part talk-show host.
“I think it’s important to keep the public informed about what’s going on with the board as it happens,” Peraica said. “This is a wonderful technology that enables us to keep in touch with 600 to 700 people who care about what happens at the meeting.”
Tweet away, Tony. Tweet away.
What struck me about this particular account of Tony Tweeting was Cook County Board President Todd Stroger’s response:
“I think it’s strange,” Stroger said. “It doesn’t sound kosher. He probably shouldn’t be typing while we’re doing business. Maybe that’s why he can’t remember how he voted on things two weeks ago.”
Doesn’t sound kosher, Todd? Really? Kosher?
Talk about your bad blood. This just sounds silly.
We get it that the two of you don’t get along, but can’t you disagree on issues without being so disagreeable with each other?
Todd Stroger loses this round. Who cares if Tony Peraica fires off 15 (the count at the last meeting) short sentences into cyberspace during a County Board meeting? Who cares if any other commissioner tweets? If 600 or more Cook County residents care enough to read, then that’s enough. Why use the occasion to take a cheap shot at a colleague?
Cook County residents need a board that functions.
Talk about issues, and stop these juvenile digs. Or Tweets.
Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) does not advance legislation that doesn’t have a chance of passing. So, with cautious optimism, we applaud his efforts to bring Civil Unions to Illinois.
A bill on civil unions for same sex couples goes before an Illinois House committee on Thursday, and published reports say a downstate Mormon Church plans to fight the legislation.
The Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, or HB 2234, would give same-sex couples the same protections and benefits as married couples.
The legislation was introduced in February by state Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago). It supplants an earlier civil unions bill, HB 1834, which Harris introduced two years ago. That bill passed out of committee, but died at the end of the legislative session due to the impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The Mormon Church, always full of smiles, is fighting against the legislation. However, as Harris says, their objections are “full of errors,” and used “exaggeration, distortion and lies.”
The California Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments today to overturn Proposition 8, which banned same sex marriage. If Prop. 8 is overturned, that bodes well for Illinois.
And perhaps all the Mormons won’t be smiling as much any more — except, of course, those Mormons who are gay.
Update March 5, 2009, 12:15 p.m. – State Rep. Greg Harris posted a status update to his Facebook page:
Greg Civil Union bill HB2234 just approved by Committee 4-3. It now goes to the full House for a vote.
Harris adds that the Mormon churches have “pulled out all the stops” to fight passage of this bill. “Illinois, it appears, will be the next national battleground after California.”
Good work, Greg!
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