Subject: ACTION ALERT: Indiana
From: ACTION ALERT Moderator
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 21:58:09 -0600 (CST)

[ submitted by [email-masked] ]

LGBT Fairness Indiana
FREEDOM TO MARRY ACTION ALERT
January 1997, #2

Anti-same-sex marriage legislation has been introduced into the Indiana
legislature.   This list is designed to be used for the next two weeks.

Please complete approximately one of these actions each day.

*** ACTIONS ***

1.  Come to the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on SB 211.  Come early.
 The room is small and our opponents have advertised this hearing to their
members, so seats will be at a premium.
Date:		Wed., Jan. 29, 1997
Time:		9:00 a.m.
Place:		Indiana Statehouse, Room 125  (This is in the basement.)

If you cannot attend, please call the chairperson.  There is ostensibly an
amendment being considered that has not been released for public scrutiny.

 Request that public comment be allowed at the meeting on any amendments 
in order to preserve public access to the legislative process.  Call:
Sen. Richard D. Bray (R-Martinsville)
Indianapolis:		232-9400 or 232-9500	Deaf Line 232-0404
Toll Free:		1-800-382-9467		Deaf Line1-800-548-9517

2.  Please write a letter to the editor of Rep. Vernon Smith district
daily paper in support of Rep. Smiths decision to hold HB 1019 in his 
House Families, Children, and Human Affairs committee without a hearing.
 See the Talking Points below for areas to highlight in your letter.
 Write to:
Editor
The Post-Tribune
1065 Broadway St.
Gary  IN  46402

NOTE:  Your county clerk or voter registrars office can give you the names
of your Indiana legislators, as can the political party of your choice.
Most public libraries can give you the names of your legislators if you know
their district numbers.  The district numbers are on the back of most Indiana
voter registration cards.

2.  Call your own Indiana State Senator.  Leave a message saying Please
vote NO on SB 211.
Indianapolis:		232-9400 or 232-9500	Deaf Line 232-0404
Toll Free:		1-800-382-9467		Deaf Line 1-800-548-9517
If you are calling on a weekend, please contact your public library or
LG BT Fairness Marla Stevens, beeper number 1-800-946-4646, PIN 110-3822,
for home district contact information for your legislators.

3.  Call your own Indiana State Representative.  Leave a message saying
Please vote NO on HB 1019 and SB 211.
Indianapolis:	 232-9600 or 232-9700		         Deaf Line 232-0404
Toll Free:	 1-800-382-9841 (R), 1-800-382-9842 (D)   Deaf 1-800-548-9517
If you are calling on a weekend, please contact your public library or
LGBT Fairness Marla Stevens, beeper number 1-800-946-4646, PIN 110-3822,
for home district contact information for your legislators.

4.  Send a small gift to Speaker of the House John Gregg.  (Gift Suggestions:
 Cookies, fresh baked bread and butter or jam, cheese or sausage and
crackers, a basket of fruit, a small teddy bear, a coffee mug, flowers,
balloons, or a bottle of wine.  Something with a love theme should be easy to
find right now.  Its the thought that counts, not the size or expense.
 Spkr. Gregg has a sweet tooth.)
	Attach a note thanking him for placing HB 1019, Voiding Same-Gender
Marriages, in Rep. Vernon Smith92s Families, Children and Human Affairs
Committee.  If you have a personal story to tell about how the bill would
affect you, please include it in your note.  Even if you cant send a gift,
please send the note.  Send to:
Rep. John R. Gregg
Speaker of the House
Indiana Statehouse
Indianapolis  IN  46204

5.  Send a small gift to Rep. Vernon Smith, Chairperson of the House
Families, Children, and Human Affairs Committee.  (Please see gift
suggestions above.  Rep. Smith is known for his fashion sense and always
sports trendy, colorful ties and matching pocket squares.  He is also a
deeply religious man.)
	Attach a note thanking him for shelving HB 1019, Voiding Same-Gender
Marriages and for his expressed willingness to do the same with SB 211 should
it reach the House. If you have a personal story to tell about how the
bill would affect you, please include it in your note.  Even if you cant
send a gift, please send the note.  Send to:

Rep. Vernon G. Smith
Indiana Statehouse
Indianapolis  IN  46204

6.  Call Gov. Frank O'Bannon.   Ask him to work to see that SB 211, Voiding
Same-Gender Marriages, does not reach his desk and, if it does, for his veto.
Telephone:   317-232-4567

7.  Write a follow-up note to Gov. Frank O'Bannon.
If you supported his gubernatorial campaign, please say so.
 Tell him why you oppose the bill, emphasizing that it will cost the state
millions of dollars in legal expenses if passed.
 Remind him of the support he got from LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or
transgender) people and those friendly to LGBT equality and that being
in a position to either sign or veto the bill would not be in his best
interests.
 Ask him to instruct his legislative liaison to work seriously to kill
 SB 211 by asking Spkr. John Gregg to assign SB 211 to Rep. Smiths
Families, Children, and Human Affairs Committee if it comes to the House.
Tell him that Rep. Smith is willing to have SB 211 assigned to his
committee and to thus deflect the heat from the rest of his caucus.
Ask that he be given that chance.   Ask for a progress report from the
Governors staff about this issue.

 Write to:
Gov. Frank O'Bannon
Indiana Statehouse
Indianapolis  IN 46204

8.  Call Rep. Jesse M. Villalpando (D-Griffith, Lake Co.), Chairperson of
 the House Judiciary Committee.  If you are his constituent, say so and ask
for a return call.  If not a constituent, just leave a message.  Ask that he
deflect SB 211 from his committee to Rep. Smiths, who wants the bill
assigned there.  Ask that, if the bill is assigned to Judiciary, he shelve
the bill without a hearing.

Indianapolis:	  232-9600 or 232-9700	Deaf Line  232-0404
Toll Free:	 1-800-382-9842 (D)		Deaf Line  1-800-548-9517
If you are calling on a weekend, please contact your public library or
LGBT Fairness Marla Stevens, beeper number 1-800-946-4646, PIN 110-3822, for
home district contact information for your legislators.

9.  Call Spkr. John Gregg.  If you are from Spkr. Greggs district, say so.
 Ask that, if the bill comes to the House, he assign SB 211 to Rep. Vernon
Smiths Families, Children and Human Affairs Committee.  Remind him that
Rep.  Smith wants to take the bill and that, as its House companion, HB 1019
, was already assigned there, it would be the most logical placement for SB 211.

Indianapolis:	  232-9628 (Direct Line)	Deaf Line  232-0404
Toll Free:	 1-800-382-9842 (D)		Deaf Line  1-800-548-9517
This contact should be on a weekday only.

10.  Call Rep. William Bill Bailey (D-Seymour), Chairperson of the 
House Public Policy Committee.  If you are his constituent, say so and ask
for a return call.  If not a constituent, just leave a message.  Ask that he
deflect SB 211 from his committee to Rep. Smiths, who wants the bill
assigned there.  Ask that, if the bill is assigned to Public Policy, he
shelve the bill without a hearing.
Indianapolis:	  232-9600 or 232-9700	Deaf Line  232-0404
Toll Free:	 1-800-382-9842 (D)		Deaf Line  1-800-548-9517
If you are calling on a weekend, please contact your public library or
LGBT Fairness Marla Stevens, beeper number 1-800-946-4646, PIN 110-3822,
for home district contact information for your legislators.

11.  Send a small gift to Rep. Mark Kruzan (D-Bloomington), House Majority
Floor Leader.  (Please see suggestions in No. 4, above.  Rep. Kruzan adores
Indiana University memorabilia.) Attach a note thanking him for his tireless
efforts to kill the current crop of bad marriage bills and for his years
of legislative support for equal rights for LGBT people.  If you cannot
send a gift, please send a note anyway.  Send to:

Rep. Mark Kruzan
House Majority Floor Leader
Indiana Statehouse
Indianapolis  IN  46204

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