VERMONT: MORE SURPRISES FROM YESTERDAY'S EQUAL MARRIAGE VOTE

In my limited experience, I'm learning that politics work very strangely in Vermont. Shay Totten (Blurt/Seven Days), tweets today from Montpelier,

Drag Queens heart Republican Kurt Wright

with a link to the Sisters LeMay blog post about one of the most surprising affirmative votes in yesterday's decision by the House on the equal marriage bill.

In last night's (4/2/09) historic vote by the Vermont House of Representatives to approve the same-sex marriage bill, there were a few "yea" votes that were unexpected. And one of them was from Burlington's only Republican representative, Kurt Wright.



While running for mayor two short months ago, during one of the debates, as reported by Shay Totten of Seven Days, "Wright was the only candidate at last week’s Seven Days mayoral forum who balked at the yes-no question: “Do you support same-sex marriage?”

Wright is also known as a surrogate spokesman for Governor Douglas, thus his change in position on the same-sex bill is even more surprising.

I greeted Kurt yesterday in Montpelier, but honestly thought asking him to vote yes was a lost cause, given he's a rabid Republican (especially in Montpelier). It was a personal letter from former state rep and former Burlington mayor Peter Brownell that conviced Kurt to vote yes. Brownell had lost his re-bid to the House due to his support of civil unions in 2000.

Wright said he didn't make up his mind on the issue until Thursday. Reading from Brownell's letter, one line resonated, "I don't regret my decision for a minute."

Photo courtesy of the Sisters LeMay.