Algiere now supports Marriage Equality

Important swing vote goes from Undecided to Yes

By Will Collette

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee of the RI Senate will hold its first hearing on marriage equality legislation. Although the RI House easily passed its version of legislation to legalize same sex marriage, the measure’s fate in the RI Senate has been in doubt, due largely to the allegiance Senate President Theresa Paiva-Weed has for the Catholic bishop of Providence, as opposed to the 60%+ of Rhode Islanders who support marriage equality.

Paiva-Weed has been stalling even allowing this upcoming hearing to take place, but the organizing pressure on her and her Senate colleagues has been intense. Ask Senator minority leader Dennis Algiere (R-Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown). Sen. Algiere was identified by both foes and supporters of gay marriage as an undecided swing vote, crucial given how closely divided the Senate head count is.

But Senator Algiere told me that he will now support the legislation, despite intense pressure from the Church and the high number of Catholics in Westerly. However, it’s been a long-time since anyone has mounted a credible campaign against Algiere, either in a primary or the General Election, so he has less to worry about than most.

Another Republican swing vote, Senator Nick Kettle (R-Coventry) has also affirmed that he will be voting “yes” for marriage equality. His rural district is much more conservative than Algiere’s.

Cathie Rumsey is already a co-sponsor

But then, so is Senate District 34, which includes the top half of Charlestown and extends through Hopkinton, Richmond and Exeter. That district is represented by Sen. Cathie Cool Rumsey (D) who was one of the initial co-sponsors of the Senate marriage equality legislation.

Senator Sue Sosnowski (D) whose district is centered on South Kingstown, is also a co-sponsor of the Senate marriage equality bill.

The chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Michael McCaffrey of Warwick, is as opposed to marriage equality as Senate Prez Paiva-Weed, so the future of the legislation is still very much in doubt. It is a rare occurrence in Rhode Island for legislation to succeed when top leadership are in opposition.

But since public support is growing, due in large part to effective organizing, it will be hard to kill marriage equality legislation outright. The main concern civil rights advocates have now is that the Senate will festoon the bill with an array of exemptions to the law. Essentially, they will water down the legislation by legalizing discrimination against gays and lesbians by broad categories of businesses and institutions.

Since the Senate seems unlikely to pass the legislation without some forms of legalized bigotry, the House will then have to decide how much of that legalized bigotry it will tolerate.

As the bill moves forward – presuming the Senate Judiciary does more than simply hold a hearing to placate bill proponents – every amendment will bear microscopic examination.