On Microstamping and Marriage, Republicans Side with Criminals and Against Families
By Mike Connery on 06/16/2010 @ 12:02 PM
The Republican Senate Conference sunk to new lows yesterday, when they stood against New York families in crisis, and in favor of criminals, by voting against microstamping and marriage bills on the floor of the Senate yesterday. These bills provided needed assistance to police and families, yet instead of supporting New York's citizens and first responders, Republicans played politics and sided with special interests.
Microstamping
Microstamping is a technology that enables the firing pin on a gun to stamp an identifier onto the shell casing of a fired bullet. The identifier is unique to the gun, and can help police track down the owner of a weapon used at a crime scene. Advocates liken the technology to "DNA" for guns.
The bill, heavily supported by Mayor Bloomberg, was rejected by Republicans, who stood with gun lobbyists and against police officers who supported the legislation. Most notable in their opposition was Martin Golden, the lone Republican in Brooklyn. As an ex-police officer, one would think that Golden would support legislation that assists police in catching criminals, but Golden walked out of the chamber during the vote, a cowardly - and highly political - act that avoided a "no" vote on the legislation, but showed the senator either unwilling to stand by his principles, or afraid to cross party bosses and gun lobbyists.
Democratic Senate spokeman Austin Shafran said it best: "We could say we saw Senator Golden at his worst, but we did not see him at all - he was absent when it counted most."
Marriage Reform
Divorce is messy and difficult even in the best of circumstances. Yet New York's antiquated marriage laws make it even harder than necessary on families in crisis. Under current law, blame must be assigned before the granting of a divorce, and New York couples seeking an amicable settlement are forced to lie about each other - making baseless claims of adultery, abandonment, or worse. New York is the only state in the country that does not allow for "no-fault divorce,"
Yesterday, the Senate narrowly passed legislation to bring New York's divorce laws in line with the rest of the county. No fault divorce provides a greater degree of control over their marital lives to all women in New York. What's more, it is critical to victims of domestic violence, because it allows for a safer end to the marriage without the need for the abusive spouse’s cooperation.
Yet this common sense measure was opposed by 28 Republicans - including 26 men - who chose to stand against New York's families and women. Asked to explain their vote, Republicans invariably say that "divorce should not be easy," yet that ignores the fact that while divorce is never easy - for the spouses or children - it does not have to be acrimonious. New York's women and wives should not be disadvantaged - and spouses should not be forced to lie to a judge - to satisfy the nebulous moral concerns of 26 men.
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