Sen. Antonioni Says Adjourning Without a Vote on Marriage Was 'Unfair' By MassNews Staff August 2, 2002

Senator Antonioni

Sen. Robert A. Antonioni (D) has told a group of constituents he voted to adjourn the Constitutional Convention on July 17 without a vote on the Marriage Amendment because he knew that a large majority of the legislature was going to vote that way.

He feared that if he voted differently, it would be widely interpreted as a vote in favor of the Amendment.

It was pointed out to the Senator that that was putting his career and worries about perceptions ahead of the clear right of the people to vote on this issue. It was also pointed out that he pulled the rug out from people who had worked hard for over two long years, who followed the law and the process.

Sen. Antonioni nodded and said, "I know. It's unfair."

		Refused to Take Surveys The Senator, who is a Democrat from Leominster, Worcester County, refused to take the Survey from Mass. Citizens for Marriage. "This is typical of most legislators," said Sarah McVay Pawlick, President of MCM. "They know there is no defense against their violating the state Constitution on July 17 and they are embarrassed." Antonioni told his constituents he does not feel comfortable filling out surveys. He said that the questions from interest groups are usually "loaded" but he was willing to discuss the issue. He would not say what in the MCM survey was "loaded." He agreed with the core message in the MCM survey that a child having a mother and a father is the ideal.
Gov. Michael Dukakis tells MassNews that the people should be allowed to vote.

He said he had received calls from constituents who favored the Amendment, including his own mother. But he told his mother that this was not a vote he could make.

He is opposed to the Amendment because he thought it went way too far. He insisted the Amendment is poorly worded, saying the courts might interpret it in a way that was
probably not intended.

He commented that we probably will never have "gay marriages" in Massachusetts. He said that despite his conservative upbringing and constituency, he has learned not to be
"judgmental" of gays, although he was unable to say why he thought this was a gay issue or why the Amendment would be "judgmental" against anyone.

He also did not explain how he could judge the 130,000 citizens, including his own mother, who signed the petition for the Amendment. How could he possibly judge them and say that they were "judgmental?"

He will not ask Senator Birmingham to reconsider his illegal actions.

"We know that every legislator on Beacon Hill, including Sen. Antonioni, was visited by lobbyists from the AFL-CIO and pressured to vote illegally and stop the vote on the Amendment," said Mrs. Pawlick. "They were given no choice. This was a pressure vote that came from Sen. Birmingham and the hierarchy. Sen. Antonioni was not allowed to vote his conscience.

"We do not know why the union quietly did this behind the scenes without the knowledge of their members, who are solidly in favor of the measure. But someone must have profited greatly as a result."

Mrs. Pawlick said she is sending Sen. Antonioni a copy of John F. Kennedy's classic book, Profiles in Courage, in which Kennedy wrote about the heroic qualities of eight U.S. Senators. JFK wrote that the book was "about the most admirable of human virtues--courage." Mrs. Pawlick said that Sen. Antonioni appears to be a good person and we should all learn more about the important virtue of courage.

"Perhaps, when the Senator gets a chance later this year to vote again on the issue, he will have the courage to change his vote, as will many of his colleagues," she said.

Below: Outraged Letter from Constituent

Tuesday January 13, 2004 News Links World Net Daily **Agape Press * TownHall.com * FreeCongress.org FoxNews.com *Media Research * CNSnews.com * Human Events **