Wednesday October 25, 2006

UPDATE (3:50 pm): SCNJ rules that “the Court cannot discern a public need that would justify the legal disabilities that now afflict same-sex domestic partnerships.” The state legislature has 180 days to either modify the definition of marriage to include gays or to construct a civil unions statute that confers equal rights. (link)

[1] The Supreme Court of New Jersey will be issuing its opinion at 3pm today on gay marriage. New Jersey, unlike Massachusetts, happens to have no law requiring those who obtain a marriage license here to be residents of the state … so if the court legalizes it, gay couples from all over the country are expected to show up, get married, and start legal challenges all over the country. Conservatives are in the midst of hand-wringing, but business owners are expecting an influx of tourism from gay couples. New Jersey never did come up with a state tourism motto, so might I suggest “New Jersey: Come for the Sodomy, Stay for the Turnpike!”? I kid, of course. We have plenty of other roads in this state.

[2] Meanwhile, New Jersey took a pass on $800,000 worth of sex education funding from the federal government. The reason why is pretty clear-cut: According to new rules from the Southern Baptist Convention Department of Health and Human Services, teachers can’t mention contraception at all and must say that sex within marriage is the “expected standard of human sexual activity” (expected by whom, exactly?) and the only way to avoid the “harmful psychological and physical effects” of sex. Interestingly, state health commissioner Fred Jacobs said the following: “Having the government of New Jersey dictate these things for families is not something we wish to do.” Would you consider applying this to, um, other things as well? That’d be great.

Midterm Election Update: Polling data shows that the House will fall into Democratic hands, with a predicted 228-230 seats (they currently hold 204; it takes 218 to claim a majority). The Senate is a jump ball; Democrats appear to have 49 seats fairly secure while the Republicans have 48. Whoever wins a majority of the three remaining toss-ups (Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia) will have control.

Topic: “Separate but equal” is coming back to public schools nationwide — this time segregating by gender. It allegedly raises girls’ math test scores. Discuss.