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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Dan Frankel |
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Frankel speaks at Capitol rally against proposed civil-unions ban
HARRISBURG, May 5 – State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, spoke at a rally at the Capitol today against a proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage and civil unions in Pennsylvania. More than 200 people from across the state attended the "Rally for All Families."
Frankel said many Pennsylvanians don't realize that the proposed amendment (S.B. 1250) would go much further than existing law by banning civil unions and threatening domestic-partnership benefits by banning any legal status for a "functional equivalent" of marriage.
He said the amendment would affect not just same-sex couples but also unmarried opposite-sex couples, including many senior citizens who avoid remarrying to protect their Social Security, pension or health benefits.
"This would jeopardize all the progress that's been made in recent years. This would put at risk things like the ability to visit a loved one in the hospital and the ability to inherit property," Frankel said.
The amendment was approved today by the Senate Appropriations Committee and is expected to receive a vote in the full Senate on Wednesday.
"Instead of spending time on this nonsense, the Senate ought to be spending its time on things like the House-passed bill that would help 270,000 more Pennsylvanians obtain health insurance. The Senate has had that bill for nearly two months without acting on it, but the Senate found time to have four hearings on this amendment whose only purpose would be to write discrimination into the constitution," Frankel said.
Frankel noted that civil unions, which the amendment would ban, enjoyed 65 percent support in a recent Pennsylvania poll.
"I am hopeful that House members of both parties will listen to the people and stop this amendment. We need to be spending our time on the budget, health care, energy, economic development and property tax reform – not taking existing rights away from law-abiding, tax-paying Pennsylvanians."
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Attention Radio News Directors: an actuality from Rep. Frankel is available by calling 1-800-452-3001. Enter PA23 (7-2-23) and the pound sign (#) at the menu prompt to get today’s sound. You can also download the sound in .mp3 format by visiting www.pahouse.com/mediacenter.