Utah senator’s sneezing fit dooms anti-gay bill
Jim Dabakis' "mini-filibuster" kills last-minute provision to deny same-sex couples a tax benefit
It wasn’t his fault, really, all you right-wingers. Utah State Sen. Jim Dabakis (D-Salt Lake City) just really had to sneeze. The fact that it killed a bill with an anti-gay provision was totally just a coincidence.
It was Dabakis’ quick thinking during a vote on a seemingly mundane bill that has Utah’s LGBT community breathing a sigh of relief.
As first reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, at issue was an amendment snuck into a tax bill by Rep. LaVar Christensen (R-Draper), a fierce opponent of LGBT rights. Christensen’s amendment would have prevented same-sex couples from allowing each other to be listed as joint tenants for tax purposes. As the bill moved rapidly through the legislature, it seemed like anti-gay opponents might eke out a victory at the last minute.
But after the bill passed the House and was sent back to the Senate for final approval, it hit the floor with three minutes to spare before the midnight deadline. The Senate began to call the roll, but when Dabakis’ chance to vote came up, he cleared his throat, then sneezed. And then sneezed again. And again. And then mumbled something, then appeared to ponder his vote. When Senate leaders realized Dabakis was stalling, they tried to skip him and continue voting. But it was too late: midnight came, and the bill died by failing to pass before the expiration of the legislative session.
Dabakis’ actions have left Utah Republicans stewing as they try to find more ways to allow discrimination against LGBT people. And it’s earned him praise from LGBT advocates across the nation.
Taking to Facebook, Dabakis wrote: “My mini-filibuster. What they did was very meanspirited (sic)! SB 242 was a low blow anti-LGBT bill. It was pulled off the board at 11:57 PM. The session ends at midnight. As they rushed this redneck-pleasing, bad bill through, there was only one minute left to vote. Roll Call Vote. When it came my time to vote — I had to deliberate. A long time. Until the session ended!
He continued: “The hamfisted attempt to pass the bill under the radar was at least sneaky and tacky, trying to exclude our Utah same-sex married couples from the law. And if it had passed, it most likely would have cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands in a lawsuit. Tacky.”
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