HD, I need your help
Not just limited to HD but I figured he would know the most about this. So if anyone else can help clear this up for me, please do.
Since elections are just around the corner, I've been doing some research. I like to research all sides of things so I read the websites of Democrats, Republicans and The Log Cabin Republicans. I also spend a little time reading about Independents, Green Party, etc.
I've spent more time this year researching The Log Cabin Republicans and in doing so, I came across something that has me confused.
Governor Arnold has always maintained that marriage should be between a man and a woman. He signed a bill that keeps marriage between a man and a woman. But then I came across a bill, SB 1827 written by Carole Midgeon. An open lesbian in our state senate. Basically, the bill states that gay and lesbian couples are required to file their taxes as a married couple. We would be required to file as "married filing jointly" or "married filing separately".
Where I am having trouble, is I can't tell if this has actually become law. I can't tell if it passed or if it has become inactive. From what I can tell, it did pass and he signed the bill. Meaning that Michelle and I would now be required to file as a married couple. Oh, I forgot to say that this applies to registered domestic partners. (which we are)
From what I read on the LCR website, they are in support of Arnold? I'm a little confused. Please help?
Since elections are just around the corner, I've been doing some research. I like to research all sides of things so I read the websites of Democrats, Republicans and The Log Cabin Republicans. I also spend a little time reading about Independents, Green Party, etc.
I've spent more time this year researching The Log Cabin Republicans and in doing so, I came across something that has me confused.
Governor Arnold has always maintained that marriage should be between a man and a woman. He signed a bill that keeps marriage between a man and a woman. But then I came across a bill, SB 1827 written by Carole Midgeon. An open lesbian in our state senate. Basically, the bill states that gay and lesbian couples are required to file their taxes as a married couple. We would be required to file as "married filing jointly" or "married filing separately".
Where I am having trouble, is I can't tell if this has actually become law. I can't tell if it passed or if it has become inactive. From what I can tell, it did pass and he signed the bill. Meaning that Michelle and I would now be required to file as a married couple. Oh, I forgot to say that this applies to registered domestic partners. (which we are)
From what I read on the LCR website, they are in support of Arnold? I'm a little confused. Please help?
posted by Bravie at 8:26 AM
18 Comments:
I have no idea, but thank-you for reminding me tht I have to research the cadidates for our municipal elections next month.
I can't find my sample ballot.
Research is too hard!
What are Log Cabin Republicans?
Ditto MTW's question.
Also, does your state have a date when laws go into effect? Like here, I think it's usually July 1. Perhaps he signed it, but it doesn't go into effect until a specific date. I'm not sure. I thought I heard recently that he is distancing himself from Bush.
Carey: I don't know anything about this, but give me a little while to do some research and I will let you know what I discover.
MTW and Boo: Log Cabin Republicans are usually wealthy, self-loathing, white gay men who put their own pocketbooks ahead of any concern for justice or equal rights. Because they are men, they do not experience the sexism that women do. Because they are white, they benefit from white privilege and do not experience discrimination based on their race or ethnicity. Because they have money, they manage to sidestep many of the concerns about health insurance, jointly purchasing property, and all those other things that burden gay men and women who are not affluent. (They can actually afford Roolz's asshatted "hire a lawyer" solution to getting some of the rights that herterosexuals take for granted.) All of this tends to make them blind to the discrimination that other gay people, those who are women, poorer, and non-white, experience on a daily basis --- or it makes them just not care that the discrimination exists because it does not directly affect them to the same degree. Also, because they have money and they are white, others tend to "overlook" their sexuality and welcome into their social circles based on class expectations as long as they behave appropriately genteel --- that is, as "straight" as possible in public, no holding hands or kissing or anything that would make others "uncomfortable." They are generally selfish and interested in their own welfare rather than the welfare of any larger community.
From the Senate Democratic Caucus: State of California site:
I am honored to be your representative from the Third Senate District, which includes Marin, and portions of San Francisco and Sonoma Counties.
I am working every day to give you the effective representation you deserve in Sacramento, and am pleased to report that my top legislative priorities of 2006 have now been signed by the Governor. Chief among these are SB 1542, an essential consumer protection/ driver safety bill, and SB 1827, which provides full equality for all couples filing income tax returns.
Carole Midgen
I'll keep looking for more. Have you considered sending an email to Senator Midgen's office? You could just say: I've run across this information, this is my situation, please tell me what it means for my partner and me. I'm sure somebody from her office would respond --- and be a lot more definitive in their answer than anything I can tell you.
I need to head over to watch "Amazing Race" with friends, but I will follow up on this tomorrow during my lunch hour.
I'm trying to figure out the lesser of two evils here. Neither of them appeal to me one iota so that's why I'm doing extra research. Trying to find one little straw to grasp at so that I can vote.
Thanks, HD.
Ohhhh, good idea. I will send her an email.
Have fun tonight.
The Log Cabin Republicans description is good for all pubs, IMHO:
arrogant, only concerned with self, pretending to be genteel.
LC pubs do confuse me, as do Black pubs.
Wait a minute, Arnold signed a law keeping marriage between m/w but now there is another law that registered partners file taxes as married **boggle** Only in America can two laws confict!
Is filing as married a good thing or a bad thing?
I'm not sure if it's good or bad. Aren't there tax breaks for filing as married? Or will I end up screwed and Michelle not because she makes more money than I do?
We always figure it out as Married filed seperately and Married fililng jointly. Jointly always works out in our favor. There is a small tax break for married filers.
One of my concerns is that Michelle ends up with less of a refund if we file jointly. We have completely separate finances. Except for the house which we own jointly. I guess we will have to figure together and separate and see how it goes.
I emailed the Senator with a bunch of questions that I had about this bill. We'll see how it goes.
Hi Carey - Hope you don't mind that I'm lurking and butting in here, but I figured if I was being helpful, you wouldn't mind. :) (I am diamond in other places, in case you weren't sure.)
Anyway, I did a little searching and it appears that the bill has indeed now been signed into law (on Sept. 30, it appears - from what I can tell from skimming, it seems like it's effective immediately - i.e., for this tax year). This post seems to have some good general info. and also links out to the actual text of the bill and the implications for federal tax returns.
Hope that helps!
Hi Jolene,
I have absolutely no problem with you posting here. Thank you for the information. It actually answered all of the questions that I had. Well, all but one. Because of the wording. The wording is "allows" domestic partners to file...
I am going to assume (yikes) that they expect their wording to be taken literally. Therefore, we are not forced to file in California as married filing separately/jointly, we are allowed to do so if we want.
That sight was extremely helpful. And now the tick will be getting me to check that little box that says "married". That word scares me more than death.
Thank you again for the help. Feel free to do more than lurk anytime you want.
Actually, looking at the actual language of the bill a little more closely (I meant to wait to do this until I got home, but of course curiosity is always more powerful than the the desire to do actual work), I think this is the relevant section:
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), registered domestic partners, as described in Section 297 of the Family Code, who are registered as domestic partners as of the close of the taxable year and who are prohibited under federal law from filing a joint federal income tax return, shall either file a joint state income tax return or separate state income tax returns by applying the standards applicable to spouses who file separately pursuant to Section 6013 of the Internal Revenue Code. A separate return filed by a domestic partner of a registered domestic partnership shall be subject to the same conditions and limitations applicable to the separate return of a spouse.
So I think this actually does say you must either file jointly or "separately", with "separately" being the same (tax rules-wise) as "married filing separately". So I don't think you actually have the option to still file as single people. But (and I think this is based on something I read somewhere, though I'm not not sure where), I also don't think you will file as "married", as that isn't true. My guess is they will alter the tax forms so that there will be a box added for "registered domestic partners" (so no worries there!).
Of course I don't know anything for sure. I myself am really not looking forward to doing my taxes this year, as they will be very complicated for a bunch of other reasons. But being perpetually single (*sigh*), marriage is not one of them. :)
I think you're right. We can't file as single people anymore.
We may just have to go to a tax man this year so that we will know how to file them properly ourselves next year.
I hate paying someone to do my taxes. I had to do it the year before last because I had a business of my own and there were tons of loopholes that I would not have known about on my own.
However, I do feel better about not having to click the married button.
Something is clearly wrong with me. Michelle and I have been together for 15 years, we own our house together, we are registered domestic partners, yet that worried married just freaks me out.
I'm not sure what it is in my brain that makes me think I'm still not "married".
Married is just such a commitment into an institution. My 13 year old brain has trouble computing that I am really a 40 year old woman. *gasp*
Heh, to me it really feels like an abstract concept at this point. And I completely am with you about not wanting to pay for an accountant. But I think I am going to have to. Up till now, I've always mooched off my Dad's TurboTax (and his, uh, help, too), but now that I don't live in the same state anymore, I can't do it. God, I hate being an adult sometimes...
The only time I like being an adult is when I can buy alcohol.
I'll never forget when Michelle and I first bought our house. We looked at each othe and said "let's paint the walls all different colors. Just because we can"
And we did. The 49er room is painted 49er red and the guest room is painted like the Partridge Family bus.(but pastel blues and greens rather than those orange and yellows)
Sometimes it still baffles me that I don't have a curfew or a bedtime.
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