Politics Watch — April 7, 2009
Vermont allows same-sex marriage
Less than a week after Iowa became the first Midwestern state to allow the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Vermont became the fourth state in the U.S. to allow such a practice.
To view the report from The Washington Post, click here, or here for a the report by The New York Times.
Vermont is the fourth state to allow same-sex marriage by legislative action. The other states to allow same-sex marriage did so through judicial action. The state's House and Senate initially approved the measure, but it was met with the Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas' veto pen. Both chambers of the legislature voted to override the veto with two-thirds majorities.
Vermont would have been the fifth state to approve same-sex marriage if California voters hadn't approved a ballot initiative in the 2008 election that amended the state's constitution to outlaw the practice. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa allow same-sex marriage.
Last night, the Columbia City Council also took a step to enhance the rights of same-sex couples by unanimously approving a measure that would create a domestic partner registry in the city. Columbia joins Kansas City, St. Louis and Jackson County in municipalities that maintain registries. Click here to view the report by Maneater staffers Victoria Guida and Marty Swant.
Today, the city announced that couples who are both at least 18, mentally competent, not related and not married can begin registering at the Columbia/Boone Health Center at 1005 West Worley from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost to register is $25.
Voter turnout only 10.1 percent
Election judges wait to sign-in voters at the Christian Chapel Academy during Tuesday's municipal election. Turnout for the election, which includes decisions on two City Council and School Board seats, has been substantially lower than November's general election.
Less than 10.1 percent of registered Boone County voters cast ballots in Tuesday's municipal election.
The number is far lower than the 28.02 percent who cast votes in last April's municipal election. The November general election had a 83.65 percent voter turnout in Boone County.
It's the lowest voter turnout in an April municipal election in recent memory. The second lowest was a 11.52 percent voter turnout in April 2005.
More than 21,000 new voters registered before the general election in November last year.
Polling stations were empty midday at the Christian Chapel Academy, located at 3300 S. Providence Road.
