Democratic Senate Challenger; member of State House
Co-sponsored Equality & Family Fairness Act for gay equality
Jeff was proud to oversee the passage of several key pieces of legislation that immediately improved the lives of gay and lesbian individuals across the state.
Jeff was a co-sponsor of
The Equality and Family Fairness Act, which grants legal rights to same-sex couples who register their partnerships with the state. It affords them nearly 500 rights under the law to which they would otherwise not be entitled.
And to ensure those families have access to all their rights under the law, Jeff also co-sponsored the Oregon Equality Act, prohibits discrimination against Oregonians on the basis of real or perceived sexual orientation.
Jeff Merkley is the only U.S. Senate Candidate along the West Coast who is publicly and fully supportive of full marriage equality.
Source: Endorsement letter from National Stonewall Democrats
Sep 18, 2008
Ok to define marriage against polygamy or same-sex
Senator Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) compared homosexual marriage to the persecution of Mormons in the 19th century. “My campaign people will kill me for saying this, but... Part of what I fear as you start defining marriage--we have a long history of doing
that in this country, and my Mormon pioneer ancestors were the victims of that. I don’t want that coming back,” said the Republican legislator. Smith supported a federal law defining marriage as “between one man and one woman.”
However, he says his Mormon background helps him empathize with victims of discrimination. Gordon says he does not want to create a much bigger problem in the gay and lesbian community.
Gordon’s Democratic opponent, Jeff Merkley’s (D-OR) campaign released the statement saying that Smith “appears he is defending polygamy and believes it was wrong for the government to establish a definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.”
Source: Campaign Summaries on www.dcpoliticalreport.com
Jun 17, 2008
Oregon Equality Act: sexual orientation is a civil right
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: To protect their health, safety and morals from the consequences of intergroup hostility, tensions and practices of discrimination of any kind based on sexual orientation: The Legislative
Assembly intends to provide:
A program of public education calculated to eliminate attitudes upon which practices of discrimination because of sexual orientation;
An adequate remedy for persons aggrieved by certain acts of discrimination
because of sexual orientation;
hereby is recognized as and declared to be a civil right.
However, this section shall not be construed to prevent a bona fide church from preferring an employee of one religious sect or persuasion over another.
Source: Voting record, The Oregon Equality Act (SB 2)
Dec 31, 2007
Apply affirmative action to state hiring
Q: On affirmative action: Should race, ethnicity or gender be taken into account in state agencies’ decisions on: Public employment?
A: Yes.
Q: State college and university admissions?
A: Yes.
Q: State contracting?
A: Yes.
because of sexual orientation;
hereby is recognized as and declared to be a civil right.However, this section shall not be construed to prevent a bona fide church from preferring an employee of one religious sect or persuasion over another.
Source: Oregon State 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
