January 16, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Robert R. Larimer, Jr.
Olympia—Speaking at a well-attended Pro-Family Coalition news conference in the state capitol yesterday, Washington for Traditional Values executive director Bob Larimer stated: "The time has come to put principle above politics. While some legislators may fear "divisive" issues, it is simply not acceptable to ignore significant threats to our culture."
Larimer remarked that Governor Gary Locke had "Served as a willing mouthpiece for the homosexual agenda when he vetoed legislation banning same-sex ‘matrimony’ after the last legislative session, and when he actively supported the pro-homosexual Initiative 677, which was ultimately, overwhelmingly defeated by a wide, 60-40, margin in last November’s election."
Denouncing the homosexual lobby’s false predictions of ‘divisiveness’ and ‘violence’ should legislators allow a state-wide referendum vote on homosexual marriage last session, Larimer urged lawmakers to "Pay absolutely no attention to the special pleading of the homosexual lobby, which has proven itself to be dishonest. Like Initiative 677, the issue of homosexual "matrimony" would open up every area of public policy to social tinkering, re-definitions and lawsuits by pro-homosexual activists. It would also force public schools to recognize and teach homosexual marriage as a legal institution in our state," Larimer said, adding that a referendum clause would bypass the Governor’s veto and allow Washington’s voters to decide this important issue.
The Pro-Family Coalition urged the Legislature to put principle above politics, bypass the governor, and place the issues of "homosexual marriage" and partial birth abortion before We the People of Washington state. "Washington's voters know better than to give government recognition and encouragement to biologically inconsistent, medically unsound and culturally damaging sexual conduct," Larimer said.
Quoting House Speaker Clyde Ballard, who said on a recent state-wide Mike Siegel radio program that it is a 'crime' when our state graduates children who can not read, Larimer declared: "Isn't it even more of crime to take the very lives of innocent children who have been almost completely delivered from their mothers' bodies, using the barbaric practice of so-called 'partial birth abortion?'"
Over a dozen state Senators and Representatives including Rep. John Koster, head of the newly formed Conservative Caucus, also attended, and many spoke in support of bans on same-sex "matrimony" and partial birth abortion, and advocated other measures such as Senator Harold Hochstader’s bill allowing "conscientious objectors" to divert their tax dollars toward alternative schooling for their children, and Senator Val Steven’s bill making divorce a less appealing "solution" to marital difficulties. Rep. Bill Thompson spoke of the urgency of banning homosexual marriages before they are exported to our state from Hawaii.
Contact: Bob Larimer
(360) 604-0632
(360) 806-4271
E-Mail:BLarimer@e-z.net