| PEOPLE & POLITICS 7

AFTER THE SUPREME COURT’S LANDMARK RULINGS ON GAY KANSAS HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP BRIAN WEBER (R) RESIGNED from the MARRIAGE were announced in June, legislators from at least two states Legislature in June to spend more time with his family decided to take the fight home. Alabama Representative Patricia Todd (D), and at the business he co-owns. Weber, 30, was first the only openly gay elected official in the state, is considering suing the appointed to the Legislature to fill the seat of former state over the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. It was Representative Pat George (R), who is now Kansas approved by 81 percent of Alabama voters in 2006—the same year Todd secretary of commerce. He was elected to the seat in was first elected. In Pennsylvania, Representatives Steve McCarter (D) 2012 and served as chair of the House Social Services and Brian Sims (D), the first openly gay lawmaker elected to the General Budget Committee. WEBER Assembly, announced they will introduce legislation to allow same-sex marriage in the Keystone State. A TEA PARTY ACTIVIST HAS BECOME THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN REPUBLICAN elected to the Florida Legislature. Mike Hill, 54, a small- business owner, Air Force veteran, and president of the Northwest Florida Tea Party, won handily in the election to replace former Representative

Clay Ford (R), who died in March. Shortly after HILL being elected, Hill told the Sunshine State News that the voters had “made it clear that the conservative message of limited government, low taxes, personal TODD MCCARTER SIMS freedom and individual responsibility is what they want out of government. … I’m just honored to be FIVE VIRGINIA REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS—INCLUDING HOUSE able to serve them in Tallahassee.” SPEAKER WILLIAM HOWELL—were targeted by anti-tax candidates in GOP

HOWELL primaries for supporting the state’s new transportation ANNE ZIAJA, DIRECTOR OF THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE LEGISLATIVE funding bill, which calls for an estimated $1.2 EDUCATION OFFICE is the 2013 recipient of the Kevin B. Harrington billion in new revenue a year. Howell and Delegate Award for Excellence in Democracy Education. She was selected for her Robert Orrock Sr. won easily, as did Delegate John outstanding success at advancing civic education for countless young Cosgrove, who beat two opponents for the Senate people, high school and college interns, and adults, and for consistently seat being vacated by retiring Senator Harry Blevins achieving full participation by Massachusetts senators in NCSL’s America’s (R). Delegates Joe May and Beverly Sherwood Legislators Back to School Program. The award is named in honor didn’t fare as well. With less than 10 percent of the of NCSL’s founding president, and is given each year to a lawmaker, eligible voters choosing to participate, Sherwood lost to Mark Berg by only legislative staffer, legislature or chamber, or organization that best educates 78 votes, while May lost to Dave LaRock by more than 700 votes. Both students or adults on the strength and value of our form of government. delegates were trying to win their 11th consecutive terms in the House of Delegates. COLORADO SENATE PRESIDENT JOHN MORSE (D) AND SENATOR ANGELA GIRON (D) FACE RECALL ELECTIONS—the first in Colorado THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES ELECTED NINE-YEAR history—for their support of gun legislation. Morse will be term-limited out VETERAN MEMBER (D) speaker in a special session called to in 2014 if he survives the recall. Both voted in favor of bills that, among replace Rick Thompson (D). Thompson resigned to other things, limit ammunition MORSE GIRON become secretary of the Department of Government magazines to 15 rounds and Affairs. Miley, the state’s 56th speaker, served as require universal background chair of the Judiciary Committee for the past eight checks. More than 16,000 years. Finance Committee Chair Harry Keith White registered voters signed the (D) virtually ensured Miley’s election when he Morse petition, and about dropped out of the race and endorsed his colleague. 13,000 signed the Giron MILEY Delegate (R) was the Republican petition—both more than the candidate for speaker. The 53-44 vote split mostly along party lines. required 25 percent of the total voters in the last local election. Petitions for the recall of Representatives Mike McLachlan (D) and Evie Hudak (D) also circulated, but failed to receive enough signatures.

STATE LEGISLATURES | JULY/AUGUST 2013