Replied: Jonathan Lubin <MA406000@brownvm.brown.edu>
Subject:      Defeat in Rhode Island Senate

  It's with the deepest regret that I announce that the
Rhode Island antidiscrimination bill, which has gotten
farther than ever before, was defeated in the Senate
this afternoon by a vote of 25-23.

  The debate was not instructive, nor was it particularly
vituperative. The fundies had about 20-30 folks there with
discrete labels asking Senators to vote against, and we
had about half again as many, wearing pink triangles and
labels requesting a positive vote. A motion to recommit
(silent death) failed by something like 25-23, and was
opposed by Senator David Carlin (D) of Newport, who we knew
was against the bill. So when he changed his vote, we would
have 24-24 and the Lieutenant Governor could break the
tie in our favor. Our hopes were raised.

  But when the actual vote on the measure came up, it was
23-23, and then Senators John Correia (D) of East Providence
and John Sabatini (D) of Pawtucket came in late and inserted
their negative votes. And it's all over for this year.

  Sidelights:

  Senator Carlin is leaving state government to run for the
federal House of Representatives. He has a primary fight
ahead of him, which he has a good chance of winning, and
then he goes on to run in the general election against the
Republican incumbent Ronald Machtley. Carlin got up on the
Senate floor and delivered a rambling speech in which he
admitted that he had voted on both sides of this issue, but
that this time he was going to vote against. He's a slithery
guy, whom some of our oldtimers do not trust a bit; Julie
Pell had been counting on his vote. After the whole thing
was over, the only reason we could imagine to explain Carlin's
having voted against us was so he could be seen as differing
from Machtley, who is one of the few Republicans in the House
to have signed on as a cosponsor of the Federal Gayrights bill.

  A month ago, when the House voted narrowly to approve the
bill, a good number of people from both parties got up to
counter the standard stupidities that the opponents were
dishing out. Some of these were very eloquent. I'm sorry
to say that there was little eloquence in the Senate today.
Our principal sponsor, Senator Rhoda Perry (D) of Providence,
gave a very long address that attempted to head off all possible
objections to the bill, but there was no spark in what she
had to say. Perhaps the best speech was by Senator June
Gibbs (R) of Middletown, but aside from her, no supporter
of the bill rose to any kind of passion. Needless to say,
there was no eloquence at all in what the senatorial opponents
of the bill brought forth.

  Next year the makeup of both houses in the General Assembly
will be very different: lots are retiring voluntarily, and lotw
more will be voted out of office. We Alliance folk, who have
been working on this legislation for eight years, can only
retire for a short while to lick our wounds, and then make
plans for next year. Wish us better luck next time!
                                                              - jdL -