Sanchez’s lawyers had argued a sentence of no time in prison was appropriate.
“I asked Al this morning: ‘Did you ever shut down Outer Drive?’ He said: ‘No,’” attorney Thomas Breen said of Sanchez’s tenure as Streets and Sanitation chief. “He had a plan that kept the Outer Drive open all the time.”
An agitated Sanchez spoke to the judge, saying he had to get things off his chest. He said his goal wasn’t to amass a political army by leveraging city jobs.
“I’m going to have to be able to keep Lake Shore Drive open” and keep the side streets clear of snow. “That was my goal,” not a political organization, he said.
* State Sen. Shane Cultra was interviewed by the East Peoria Times Courier the other day…
[Last] Thursday the Illinois Department of employment Security announced the unemployment rate dropped in the Peoria metro area in December. That continued a trend of declining jobless numbers through 2010.
December unemployment rates fell in every Illinois county for the first time since 1974, according to the state.
Cultra said he was unaware of that news. He said he found that hard to believe
Reality is reality, Senator. Try it sometime. You might like it.
Another Republican blasted from both sides of the spectrum for his record on emissions, Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, said he is “not terribly concerned” about taking heat from green groups for his criticism of EPA action on carbon emissions.
“The consensus behind the climate change bill collapsed and then further deteriorated with the personal and political collapse of Vice President [Al] Gore,” Kirk said in a brief interview last week.
So, apparently, the merits of the issue don’t matter to Kirk because Al Gore got in trouble with a “massage therapist.” Thoughtful guy, that.
Flowers has introduced House Bill 104, which would create the Department of Minority and Women Inclusion. The new agency would be in charge of equal employment opportunity in the executive branch, as well as ensuring against racial or gender disparities in state contract awards.
Flowers said the bill will help cut state spending even though a new agency would be created.
Um, OK. I don’t get how this cuts state spending at all.
* Related…
* Reagan day in Illinois proposed: A resolution recently introduced in the state House would have designated Sunday as Ronald Reagan day in Illinois. But state Rep. Jerry Mitchell, R-Sterling, who sponsored the resolution, said it probably won’t go anywhere because the House session was canceled this week due to the blizzard hitting the Midwest. The resolution would have been a “one-time thing,” he said.
* New Beginning for 20 Illinois Representatives: State Rep. Kelly Burke (D-Evergreen Park) has experience as an attorney and also in higher education. What’s more, “I was the president of our local library board, so I have a little local government experience – experience with literacy, things like that.”
* Banking analyst Meredith Whitney boldly predicted “50 to 100 sizable defaults” by states and municipalities amounting to “hundreds of billions of dollars” when she was on 60 Minutes in December. The prediction set off a firestorm, with billions withdrawn from muni funds since then. But as I told subscribers yesterday, Bloomberg News has completely undercut Whitney’s claims by using her own research.
The news service got ahold of a copy of Meredith’s publication (annual subscription rate: $100,000) upon which her claims to 60 Minuteswere based…
A copy of the 43-page report obtained since then doesn’t mention sizable defaults amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars. A person who has seen a long addendum that profiles the 15 top states said that the longer portion doesn’t, either.
“We are not calling for any specific defaults within the scope of this report,” the document says on page 42. An opening summary says there will “invariably” be local defaults, without elaborating. […]
Her report, on page 2, says “debt service at the state level is not something we believe is at risk” [Emphasis added]
* 60 Minutes billed Whitney as a visionary, but her record is unimpressive…
Bloomberg News reported in October that about two-thirds of her stock picks since starting her company in 2009 had fared worse than market indexes. Visa Inc. fell 14 percent after she called it her “single best buy,” and Capital One Financial Corp. tripled after she urged clients to sell.
She was also far from the first bank analyst to predict doom for Citigroup, contrary to the 60 Minutes profile.
* This little-discussed factoid is getting lost in the mega-uproar about the thousand or so cars stranded on Lake Shore Drive Tuesday night…
Though some people were stuck in their cars as late as 3:30 a.m., officials said most of those people were drivers reluctant to abandon their cars until firefighters ordered them to do so.
One can only wonder how many times those stubborn dolts were offered assistance before they had to be ordered out of their precious automobiles by cold, exhausted firefighters. That’s time which could’ve been far better spent helping others truly in need.
Only a fraction of the thousands of cars on LSD Tuesday night actually got stuck, and nobody was seriously hurt. Closing the Drive early would have undoubtedly caused nightmarish problems on arterial roads. We don’t know if the situation would’ve been worse, but those same cars would’ve been much more spread out than they were Tuesday, and, therefore, more difficult to reach…
“The question was do we eliminate Lake Shore Drive as an option, which would’ve essentially diverted thousands of drivers onto other roads”, [Mayor Daley’s chief of staff Raymond Orozco] pointed out. He says that would’ve created even more traffic and dangerous travel conditions on other city streets.
* Apparently, the guy in charge Tuesday was not Mayor Daley but hizzoner’s chief of staff, who was quickly fed to the angry hordes yesterday…
Aware of the complaints, Orozco took full responsibility for the timing of the Drive shutdown and apologized to the hundreds of motorists who were inconvenienced.
Still, Orozco said he made “the right decision” in waiting until nearly 8 p.m. to close the road. He said he weighed the effect of diverting traffic off Lake Shore Drive sooner and concluded the city would be safer without thousands of cars spilling onto local roads.
“In a storm of this magnitude there is no way to predict from minute to minute what problems may arise,” Orozco said. “But what we know at this time is no serious injuries or loss of life [happened] based upon the option that I chose during what was called a life-threatening storm.
“What we believe is we obtained the best possible outcome.”
“If reports that Mayor Daley was not involved in the actual decision making on the city’s response are true, that’s a disappointment, ”Carol Moseley Braun said through a spokeswoman.
A spokeswoman for Gery Chico said he believed there would be time later to play the role of “Monday morning quarterback.” Instead, Chico saluted the courage of city workers who responded to the weather emergency, especially police, paramedics and firefighters. Their unions, by coincidence, have all endorsed Chico. […]
Referring to the now internationally-notorious traffic mess along the lakefront, Emanuel said in a written statement: “We need to get to the bottom of what happened last night on Lake Shore Drive — with hundreds of passengers stranded for hours, it’s clear that there were mistakes made that we can never let happen again. And we need a comprehensive review to determine what went wrong and what went right throughout the city.”
The last time the city implemented Phase 4 of its snow plan — by calling out private contractors to assist with snow removal — it boosted the total storm tab to a whopping $77 million.
For that 1999 storm, Daley requested federal disaster assistance, as he did again this week. Back then, he was ultimately forced to raise an array of taxes, blaming at least some of it on the snow.
This time, the tab is likely to approach $100 million. The next mayor is already facing a structural deficit in the $1 billion range when pension obligations are factored in. Daley managed to hold the line on taxes in his final budget, only after draining all but $76 million from the 75-year, $1.15 billion lease that privatized Chicago parking meters.
And that’s just for Chicago. Lots of suburban and Downstate communities are gonna be in much worse fiscal shape by the time this thing is over.
* More stuff…
* Next problem: Where to put all that snow - Municipalities scramble to find acceptable dumping sites
* How about the side streets? City officials say “as soon as possible”
* Tips from Ameren on electricity, gas and weather
* Brown: Still, I get tired of the scapegoating. Maybe this one time we could just figure out what went wrong and how to avoid the same problem in the future without insisting that somebody take the fall. This was clearly a unique weather situation.
* Gov. Pat Quinn’s spokesperson Annie Thompson reacting to criticism from Springfield’s Republican state Representatives about discontinuing the $1 million state subsidy to the National High School Finals Rodeo, which means the event will not be held in Springfield this year…
“Republicans keep calling on the governor’s office to make cuts, but when those cuts affect their communities, they want no part of it.”
Pressed once again for the complete list of services he intends to tax, Emanuel said he would “work with the Legislature,” where the sales tax swap must be authorized.
* The Tribune kinda likes the idea, but, like the rest of us, wants more details…
The problem is, Emanuel can’t seem to spell out a bright line for what would be taxed and what wouldn’t. This has turned into a parlor game.
Would he tax limo rides?
Campaign says: You bet.
Car services? Maybe.
Taxicabs? Certainly not!
Huh?
“Huh?” is right. This is a major proposal. Emanuel ought to provide some details.
* Related…
* Chicago mayoral candidates tackle ethics issues - Ideas range from expanding inspector general’s duties to requiring more competitive bidding of contracts
* Mayoral candidates hit the streets, but some community members want more substance
* With early voting in action, mayoral race gets heated
* We asked mayoral candidates: Do you support ‘dibs’ on parking spots?: “Look, if a guy’s out there shoveling for an hour and a half, he’s not shoveling it for someone else to use it,” said former School Board chief Gery Chico, who calls himself unabashedly “pro-dibs,” even though he lives in a downtown condo now. He used to shovel his own place on Loomis, he said. “It’s a civil way to allocate parking and it’s been going on for 100 years in Chicago,” Chico said.
* Braun apologizes for calling rival a crack addict
* Playing Super Bowl in Chicago would be ridiculous: Chico can’t be blamed for thinking big. He’s pushing for the economic benefits a Super Bowl purportedly brings to a city. Tourists would flock to the city. Money would flock with them. But there’s a reason birds flock to the South in the winter: It’s cold in the North. It appears that same cold has caused a bad case of brain freeze for Chico.
* My brother Darian was born just before the Great Blizzard of 1967. He was born premature, so he had to stay in the hospital and the storm hit about the time he was supposed to come home. I don’t remember much about that blizzard except that we were all bummed out that our new brother was still at the hospital.
That storm was a biggie. Huge. 77 Midwesterners died during that one. Here’s a great video documenting its Chicago impact…
The blizzard of 1979 is infamous for bringing down Mayor Bilandic. Here is a wonderful short film about “dibs” back then….
* OK, enough of this cold, snowy stuff. How about something to warm you up? Remember this video from the State Fair?…
* Tuesday, 10:58 pm - Gov. Pat Quinn has ordered all state workers who aren’t serving in “continuity” functions to stay home from work tomorrow. From a press release…
SPRINGFIELD – February 1, 2011. Due to the severe winter storm and extremely hazardous conditions across Illinois, Governor Pat Quinn, in consultation with the Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS), has implemented the State’s Continuity of Operations/Continuity of Government Plans (COOP/COG). The inter-agency COOP/COG plans will ensure continued delivery of essential state services during severe winter weather conditions.
Based on National Weather Service warnings and hazardous travel conditions, state government employees – except those serving in continuity of government functions – are instructed to stay home on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Regular state operations will resume on Thursday, Feb. 3.
“We have been monitoring weather conditions, and working with a number of agencies statewide to coordinate preparations for the effects of this storm. Across Illinois, essential services will continue without interruption,” said Governor Quinn. “To protect the safety of our employees and the people they serve, we are directing state employees whose duties are not critical to continuity of essential state services to avoid traveling to work Wednesday.”
COOP/COG ensures that employees responsible for continuity of operations observe the hours needed to guarantee continued delivery and availability of essential public health and safety state services, including: Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) Veterans’ Homes, Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) central health centers and centers for the developmentally disabled, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) youth centers, Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) correctional institutions, as well as IDOT, ISP and IEMA.
Information on continued essential state services and service locations for the public, as well as situation updates for state employees, will be available online at www.Ready.Illinois.gov starting on Wednesday. Employees without Internet access may call 866-848-2125 (Springfield) and 866-848-2135 (Chicago) for this information.
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) cautions motorists against venturing out unless travel is absolutely necessary. The agency is fully-staffed and equipped to plow and salt roadways as necessary, but the department urges motorists to use extreme caution for the duration of the storm. Motorists can acquire up-to-date roadway conditions information at www.gettingaroundillinois.com or at www.travelmidwest.com.
On Monday, Governor Quinn activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Springfield to coordinate the state’s response to the storm. Representatives from nearly a dozen state agencies are staffing the SEOC 24 hours a day throughout the duration of the storm. Governor Quinn also issued a disaster declaration for the entire state in advance of the heavy snow, ice and blizzard conditions expected over the next few days, and today activated more than 500 Illinois National Guard troops to help ensure traveler safety on interstate highways.
Other state assistance includes:
• Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Conservation Police are using all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and four-wheel drive trucks to assist Illinois State Police, perform welfare checks and help motorists and others throughout the storm event.
• The American Red Cross has opened 28 shelters around the state and has nearly two dozen additional shelters on standby. The State of Illinois has also opened a number of shelters (in conjunction with the Red Cross) and warming centers across the City of Chicago and counties across Illinois. More information about shelters and warming centers can be found at: www.Ready.Illinois.gov.
• Supplying generators to local units of governments as requested.
More information about Winter Storm Preparedness is available from www.Ready.Illinois.gov.
* And from the Tollway…
“Travel on the Illinois Tollway is not recommended [Wednesday] morning, “Lafleur said. “We are urging our customers to stay home unless it’s an extreme emergency.
* “Snowtorious B.I.G.” knocked out my website’s ISP for a few minutes this afternoon. No biggie. I called over there and two people are holed up and constantly monitoring the equipment, so they knew it was down before I did.
My own power went off briefly here this morning, but the possibility of freezing rain is now making me wonder if I have enough fuel for my kerosene heater - and I’m questioning my own judgement for not shelling out the bucks for a decent generator. Oh, well. I’m pretty well stocked up on Jameson, though, so I should be OK.
Mayoral candidate Carol Moseley Braun today offered a public apology to a little-known opponent she had called a crack addict.
The apology at an afternoon news conference came a day after Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins said Braun owed her one but she didn’t expect to get one.
“Patricia Watkins said she does not expect an apology from me. She is wrong,” Braun said today.
“I want to apologize to her, to the congregations and members of Trinity United Church and of New Pilgrim Missionary Baptist church and all of the families and friends of those who are or who have been caught up in the tragedy of drug use. I meant no disrespect of the sanctuaries in which campaign tensions spilled over,” Braun said.
Just as with her tax-return kerfuffle, now that nearly all the damage has been done, Braun offered an apology of sorts at a news conference this afternoon
* While we’re on this topic, a new study released yesterday showed that blacks in Illinois were about five times as likely to be sent to prison for minor drug crimes as whites…
The disparity is even bigger in Cook County, where blacks charged with low-level drug possession were eight times more likely than whites to be sentenced to prison, according to the report from the Disproportionate Justice Impact Study Commission. […]
The divide stems in part from intense police activity in high-crime urban areas, where sales take place in open-air drug markets, making it easier to arrest dealers and buyers, said David Olson, chairman of Loyola University Chicago’s criminal justice department. […]
“Minorities aren’t necessarily more likely to use drugs than whites, but from the data that’s available and from the study, it’s evident that they’re much more likely to be apprehended,” Olson said. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a policy of the police department to do that. I think it’s just an outcome of where they put their resources.”
The commission said providing alternatives to prison could cut costs and help get people off drugs. The alternatives include substance abuse treatment and educating offenders on the consequences of prison time, such as hurting their chances of getting a job.
Pam Rodriguez, president of the Treatment Alternative for Safe Communities, said she believes minorities often accept plea agreements that involve prison time instead of alternative sentencing. That might be because they don’t know about options other than prison, or poor communities may not have the money to offer alternatives. Difficulties hiring lawyers also may contribute to the disparity, she said. […]
[In a dissent] Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said the report neglected to investigate why some people commit crimes repeatedly and others don’t. She said repeat offenders are more likely to end up in prison and that a larger percentage of minorities arrested are repeat offenders compared to whites.
State Rep. Dennis Reboletti, R-Elmhurst, joined in the dissent. He said variables such as gang affiliation were not taken into account, making it difficult to conclude that trends were based solely on race.
A state inspector says a supervisor at the Illinois Transportation Department pressured employees to give him gifts if they wanted good work assignments.
The executive inspector general says the supervisor accepted cigars, leather jackets and meals in exchange for handing out the best assignments.
The inspector is recommending that John Grana be punished, perhaps even fired.
Grana works at an IDOT maintenance yard in Schaumburg. He told investigators he did nothing wrong and that any gifts were simply exchanges among friends.
The question I guess I would have is whether Grana gave gifts in return that didn’t have anything to do with choice work assignments.
A watchdog group that fights government corruption in Illinois has received a $1-million gift to continue its advocacy efforts.
The donation to the Better Government Assn. comes from the Richard H. Driehaus Charitable Lead Trust. The trust wants other BGA supporters to follow suit and will match every dollar BGA raises up to $1 million.
Driehaus says government is in crisis and that the BGA can help achieve more fairness, honesty and accountability from public officials.
Dreihaus has been a major campaign contributor to Forrest Claypool, giving his campaign fund $350,000 over the years. He’s also contributed to Mayor Daley, Rahm Emanuel, Lisa Madigan and even some little contris to the 13th Ward Democratic Organization.
* Related…
* Illinois prof again nominates George Ryan for Nobel Peace Prize
* Sentencing may be delayed in death of Aurora World War II vet
* Basically, what this means is that everything with the capital bill is now status quo ante. Drivers service fees don’t have to be immediately refunded and projects apparently can carry on, at least until the Supremes rule otherwise (or not).
* What are the latest developments in your local (non-Chicago) mayor’s race or aldermanic (including Chicago) race? Fill us in as best you can, and tell us whom you are backing. Let’s avoid the Chicago mayor’s race. We’ve had plenty of posts on that already. Thanks.
* Gov. Quinn has activated over 500 Illinois National Guard troops to help deal with the blizzard. The troops will be deployed to rest areas on Interstate highways from I-70 north. Here are the units that have been called up…
· The 2/106th Cavalry Squadron based in Kewanee, with subordinate units from Galva, Dixon and Pontiac, which are being deployed to the northern part of the state.
· The 766th Engineer Company based in Decatur, the 1844th Transportation Company based in Quincy and the 3637th Maintenance Company based in Springfield, which are being deployed to the central part of the state.
· The 634th Brigade Support Battalion based in Sullivan and the 233rd Military Police Company based in Springfield, which are being deployed to the southern part of the state.
· In addition, an Illinois National Guard headquarters element is being drawn from the 65th Troop Command Brigade and 183rd Fighter Wing, both from Springfield.
I embedded with the 233rd in Iraq. Truly a great bunch of soldiers, but many are Springfield-area cops, so I hope this doesn’t detract from the capital city’s deployment efforts.
More from the press release…
Troops stationed along the highways will carry supplies such as water, snack bars and roadside safety tips to provide to stranded motorists. Guard members will also relay information regarding road conditions, vehicle accidents and stranded motorists to ISP officers working in the area.
They’re gonna give roadside safety tips to stranded motorists?
“Hi, I’m from the Illinois National Guard. I see you and your family are stranded and freezing. Here’s a list of things you should do. Oh, and here’s an energy bar. Enjoy.”
Let’s hope it doesn’t go like that.
Stay safe out there. And if you see anyone from the 233rd, tell them I said hey.
* Carol Moseley Braun was on Fox Chicago last night and said she went on the attack against Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins because she feared being portrayed as a “wimp.” I kid you not. Watch…
Braun is planning a press conference today at 1 o’clock. Should be fun.
* The universal reaction related by the media was one of disgust and anger…
On Monday, Braun supporters struggled to assess the damage from the ugly skirmish with Watkins.
“I’m not sure how much of it was fatigue. These campaigns tend to be physically draining, [but] I was very surprised. I don’t think it represented an ambassador of the United States government,” said Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th).
Another Braun supporter, who asked to remain anonymous, said the incident was “killing her out here,” particularly with elderly black voters.
“Seniors are very concerned about appearances. They think it was an embarrassment to have two educated black women out here cat-fighting,” the source said.
I don’t know if I quite believe yet that this incident knocks Braun out of second place. We’ll just have to wait and see. The “killer” snow storm, civil unions, Egypt, etc. are all big stories right now, so it’s competing with a lot of other stuff. I don’t completely agree with this assessment…
What can’t be overlooked is that Watkins and Walls will serve primarily in this election to shave votes from Braun, possibly keeping her from a runoff. I’m not saying that’s why they’re running, but that’s the effect.
From that perspective, a Braun-Watkins spat was unavoidable. The surprise is that it came on Watkins’ terms.
Keeping Rahm Emanuel below 50 percent is Braun’s best bet for getting into the runoff. All she’s doing with this craziness is pushing voters to him. Ignoring Watkins would’ve been the smart play. What Braun may have done, if anything, is help Emanuel avoid the runoff.
The nasty exchange between Carol Moseley Braun and Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins exposes the fault line in the African-American community with respect to the mayor’s race.
In a community fractured by class differences, it is nearly impossible for voters to unite behind a single black mayoral candidate.
Last time I checked, Watkins was polling at close to zero. So at least when it comes to black candidates, African-American voters do seem pretty unified.
* Notice, however, that the media has not even touched on Braun’s other claim. Here’s her full comment…
“Patricia, the reason you didn’t know where I was for the last 20 years is because you were strung out on crack,” Braun said. “Now, you have admitted to that. You also were in a cult. You have admitted to that.”
What’s this about a cult? I received a bulk e-mail yesterday with some iffy stuff in it alleging that Watkins’ church is a “cult.” Apparently, Braun believes that, too.
* As expected, Gov. Pat Quinn signed the civil unions bill into law yesterday…
“Here we are in 2011 on the eve of Abraham Lincoln’s 202nd birthday and I think this is very special,” Quinn said as 20 politicians joined him on stage and hundreds of supporters packed a hall in the Chicago Cultural Center. “We believe in civil rights and we believe in civil unions.” […]
The new law provides more than 650 spousal benefits and protections.
“If you enter a civil union, you can now visit your loved one in the hospital to make medical decisions and not be turned away. You can take time off to care for your partner and not lose your job,” Attorney General Lisa Madigan said. “You can build and protect your family.
* Just about everybody who was anybody in Illinois government was at the signing ceremony, including some Republicans …
Gov. Quinn then recognized State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka and State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, both Republicans who supported the bill. “Civil rights transcend political partnerships,” he said.
Rutherford was the last to address the crowd.
“I am from a small town in central Illinois and I am a Republican, and I am proud of it. As this bill move forward, I felt I just needed to do the right thing,” Rutherford said. “January 2009 I resigned from the Senate as the civil unions bill made its way through, and my very last bill of 18 years as part of the Senate was to vote yes on the civil unions bill.”
“I know that traveling all over Illinois that there are people who are uncomfortable but know this must go forward, I am proud to be from a small town, a Republican and to be here today.” […]
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago), Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago), Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois) and state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) and a number of other dignitaries also attended Monday’s ceremony.
* Back in the mid-1990s, the Republican-controlled General Assembly passed legislation that outlawed gay marriage and prohibited the state from recognizing gay marriages performed in other states. Illinois’ new civil unions law means that old law is now no more…
Supporters included Cindy Savage and Julia Zayas-Melendez of Rogers Park, who spent much of the ceremony with their arms around each other.
The couple married last year in Massachusetts, but the union was not recognized in Illinois. Now it will be.
“For us it means our marriage will be recognized by the state of Illinois as something other than just living together and sharing a mortgage,” Savage said. “On a larger scale, it’s one more step toward equality.”
* So far, there doesn’t seem to be any public resistance from local county clerks…
The law means couples will receive many of the same Illinois rights as married couples, said Michael, whose office has received about four calls asking how to obtain the certificates that become available June 1. Civil unions are available to all residents, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
Livingston County Clerk Kristy Masching has been asked about the fee structure. The county collects $30 for marriage licenses, with $5 going to a state fund to combat domestic violence. Clerks are waiting to hear if the same $5 fee also will apply to civil union certificates, she said.
DeWitt County Clerk Dana Smith also is waiting for proper forms and plans to consult with the county board on fees. Her staff is ready to help anyone who comes to the counter, she said.
“We won’t treat anyone any differently than anyone else,” said Smith.
In addition to Illinois, twelve states plus Washington, D.C. have laws providing an expansive form of state-level relationship recognition for gay and lesbian couples. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington D.C. provide marriage to same-sex couples under state law. New York and Maryland recognize out-of-jurisdiction same-sex marriages, but do not provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples in state. Five other states – California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington – provide same-sex couples with access to almost all of the state level benefits and responsibilities of marriage, through either civil unions or domestic partnerships.
Colorado, Hawaii, Maine and Wisconsin provide gay and lesbian couples with limited rights and benefits, not all rights provided to married couples. An attorney general opinion and subsequent court ruling in Rhode Island resulted in limited recognition of out-of-jurisdiction marriages of same-sex couples. California recognized marriage for same-sex couples between June and November of 2008, before voters approved Proposition 8, which purports to amend the state constitution to prohibit marriage equality. Couples married during that window remain married under California law, but all other same-sex couples can only receive a domestic partnership within the state. The state will recognize out-of-jurisdiction same-sex marriages that occurred before November 5, 2008 as marriages and those that occurred on or after November 5, 2008 as similar to domestic partnerships.
