My Response to Laura Knaperek

Over on Ted’s blog, there is an exchange between former LD 17 Representative Laura Knaperek and some of the usual r cubed crowd about her opposition for SB1040, a bill in 2005 that was killed in committee that was written to modernize spousal rape laws. I responded with a comment, and then went back and looked for some of the old stuff we did as the Young Democrats of Arizona on the issue. I added another comment, but all the links I used got it spam blocked. So I return to this dead blog in an attempt to post the comment that didn’t show up.

Hey so check this out.

I was prez of the Young Dems of AZ and worked at the ADP when this whole episode went down. With the Gov stuck in a budget battle and the Party doing their best to help get it through, it seemed that nobody was willing to step up to the plate and fight for this bill. There was just too much going on.

So, the Young Dems stepped up in a big way. I found the old web page we put together with bill links, articles from the time, etc (it is still up!) We collected over a thousand letters, hundreds for Ms. Knaperek specifically, urging reconsideration on the bill. You should go check it out.

We delivered all of these letters to Ms. Knaperek and the other committee members who had previously voted no before the hearing to reconsider. We also provided them with a letter and a purple ribbon to wear during the committee meeting to signify their support for stopping domestic violence. None of them wore the ribbons, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything – it is just something I remember.<!–more–>

Here is the link to our action center:
www.ydaz.org/sb1040

It is important to note that the bill was NOT slated for reconsideration until AFTER all of this pressure from us an others. Links to articles on the web page show that the legislators who voted against the bill weren’t talking about bringing it back up – they were talking about it as done. Go read them and you will see.

Also, here is the worst part. Look at what Ms. Knaperek’s colleague said about this bill and why he killed it. Just look at HIS rationale for voting against it in committee. I’d like to note that this rationale was never publicly repudiated by Ms. Knaperek. I imagine she has an opportunity to do so now.

From az daily star http://ydaz.org/spousal-rape-bill-is-tossed-by-panel

“And Rep. Warde Nichols, R-Gilbert, said he feared the legislation would undermine the whole concept of marriage.

‘When you enter into a marriage, you enter into a contract for all sorts of different things with your spouse,’ including sex, he said.

Nichols said those benefits ‘need to be eliminated’ if someone is getting a divorce. But short of that, he said it is wrong to impose this kind of penalty when a wife charges rape.”

Also, I wrote a blog post generally about this entire thing on the long since dead wactivist in response to Ted Downing’s defense of his no vote on the issue. It includes my recollections of how the reconsideration committee meeting itself went (I was there and spoke) and why we joined the fight when we did. It also can be offered as evidence that many people, myself included, were angry at opposition to this legislation regardless of party – despite Ms. Knaperek’s claim that attacks on her public voting record are purely partisan.

http://www.wactivist.com/?p=1258

I’ll let everyone draw their own conclusions here,.

Gotta tell you though, researching all this again makes me want to pack up my things here in DC, ditch national politics, and get back home to rejoin the fight leading up to 2010.

Next up, stopping what i’m sure will be their renewed push to allow guns in bars. Another piece of legislation Ms. Knaperek has a strong record of support for.