Senate lawmakers move
to take
gay youth commission
from Romney
By AP from boston.com
on the web, May 22, 2006
BOSTON --More than a dozen
Senate lawmakers, including three Republicans, are backing a proposed budget
amendment that would create a new state commission on gay and lesbian youth out
of the reach of Gov. Mitt Romney.
Romney angered many gay rights activists and lawmakers when he flirted with the
idea earlier this month of abolishing the 14-year-old commission, the first of
its kind in the nation, after a press release announcing a youth gay pride march
was issued without the administration's blessing.
Instead of killing the commission Romney ordered it to refocus on its core
mission of suicide prevention.
Romney's decision to keep the commission drew fire from its critics, who charged
he had caved in to pressure from gay rights activists.
A spokesman for Romney declined comment Monday.
The senate amendment would create a 27-member commission, none of whom would be
directly appointed by the governor.
One of the main goals of the commission would be to create "school-based and
community-based programs focusing on suicide prevention, violence intervention,
and the promotion of zero-tolerance policies regarding harassment and
discrimination against gay and lesbian youth."
Because the Gov.'s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth was first created by
former Gov. William Weld through an executive order, it could only be dismantled
by a new executive order issued by Romney.
The Senate is expected to begin its budget debate on Wednesday.
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