Subject: Urgent: South Dakota Marriage Bill Update
From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 1996 14:19:30 -0500

URGENT:  South Dakota Marriage Bill Update

     On Friday afternoon, by a vote of 41-21, the South Dakota House of
Representatives yanked House Bill 1143 out of the State Affairs Committee and
back to the floor of the House.  In South Dakota, the procedure is known as a
"smoke-out."   House Bill 1143 would define marriage as only for a man and a
woman.  
     The House State Affairs Committee voted Wednesday 7 to 6 against a
do-pass motion.  The tabling vote was 8-5.
     An Eagle Forum representative told one of the gay witnesses that "it
wasn't over."
     Activists celebratedt the outcome of the vote on Wednesday. They had
expected something similar to what happened to House Bill 1184 last year.  HB
1184 was an act to prohibit marriage between persons of the same-sex and to
null and void those marriages from the beginning.  It had passed the State
Affairs Committee last year by a vote 9-3.   No gay activists in South Dakota
are  surprised by the House vote to smoke-out HB 1143 because HB 1184 last
year passed 54-13. 
     South Dakota activist Barry Wick said House Bill 1143 is likely to come
before the full house on Monday afternoon, January 29th.  "We did make some
improvement in the vote in the House over last year.  We can only hope that
enough information and support gets to Pierre before Monday so the
legislators can make an informed decision.
      Wick said Saturday morning that lines of communication had fouled up
between observers in Pierre and his office.  "News of Friday's smoke-out did
not reach me until mid-morning on Saturday.  Additionally, rumors are
spreading in Pierre, the state capital,  that Free Americans Creating Equal
Status of South Dakota, Inc. (FACES of South Dakota)  has paid the ACLU
lobbyist."
     "It's not true. I should know because I'm also the executive director of
FACES.  The ACLU lobbyist is paid by the ACLU. That is all.  Jim Berman
happens to have been a straight friend of mine and was gracious enough to
keep me informed about the progress of the bill.   We don't know why he
didn't let us know about the smoke-out on Friday.  That proves we don't pay
him.   FACES does not hire lobbyists and can't pay me or anyone else to be a
lobbyist.  FACES is an educational organization that owns the state's only
gay and lesbian library and newsletter.  FACES provides information and
nothing more."
    "I testified in Pierre for myself and not as a representative of FACES,"
said Wick.  
    "FACES provides  information to gay activists around the state so they
can help others make an informed decision about this bill that could affect
their lives.  In my opinion,  House Bill 1143 won't make any difference in
the lives of traditional families in South Dakota.  Gays and lesbians are
already prohibited from marriage in South Dakota.  
     "I believe that many gay and lesbian people will oppose this legislation
if they know about it," said Wick.
     A complete list of representatives and senators  in the South Dakota
legislature is available by writing FACES of South Dakota, Inc, 13121 South
Creekview Road, Rapid City, South Dakota, 55702-8503, 605-343-5577, FAX
605-394-8962, or via email: [email-masked].   Visit the growing FACES
webpage at
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/usa/south_dakota/FACES.
     South Dakota legislators can be reached via message phone at
605-773-3851for the House and 605-773-3821 for the Senate.  FAXs are directed
to individual legislators at 605-773-4576.