Monday night's City Council meeting found the city of Healdsburg adding its legal voice to the suit against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in an unusual vote.
The agenda item was added in the days prior to the meeting from the original agenda released on Feb. 14, under New Business. It was not on the original agenda as posted on Patch here. The City can add items to the agenda as late as 5 p.m. Friday prior to the Council meetings, according to City Clerk Maria Curiel.
D. Consider signing onto the business Amicus brief being submitted to the Supreme Court regarding United Sates v Windsor to challenge DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act)
The item was added to the agenda at the request of local vineyard owner Tony Crabb to Councilmember Jim Wood. Wood was not able to attend the meeting.
In an article in today's Press Democrat, reporter Clark Mason described the debate and the reservations that some held against it by some on the Council, including Gary Plass.
Plass warned his colleagues that by joining the lawsuit it would be opening the door to a variety of other issues brought by a gamut of political parties on the left and the right. He said it might be gun rights, nuclear free zones, or issues favored by the tea party and John Birch Society…
However, he reluctantly voted in favor of the move to join the lawsuit when it became obvious his colleagues would do so.
What do you think? Should the City of Healdsburg take a stand in a debate on issues over which it has no direct involvement? Tell us in the comments.
