I wrote this weekend about a recent Public Policy Polling poll that found that 62% of Alaska voters support some form of legal recognition of gay and lesbian couples in that state (marriage or civil unions). I wasn't the only one who noted that PPP poll. A reporter named Mark Miller of the Juneau Empire noticed it and decided to ask the state's Republican-led House Majority Caucus about enacting civil unions or domestic partnerships for the state's gay and lesbian couples given that level of support. The House Majority Caucus was showing off their "Guiding Principles" for the year. This question elicited lots of laughs from the House leadership before they shot down the idea:
MILLER: I’m looking at a recent Public Policy Polling of Alaska that found that only 30 percent of respondents believe there should be no legal recognition of gay couples’ relationships in Alaska. I was just curious, would the caucus support the idea of having domestic partnerships or civil unions open to same-sex couples.
[LOUD LAUGHTER]
PRUITT: …We didn’t have a discussion here about what happens inside your home. We’re talking about whether or not you can make money, whether or not there is a great economy, and whether or not you’re going to have the opportunity to live in Alaska with a great future. Now, your discussion on that, we didn’t talk about that.