Subject: South Dakota Legislators to Stop Funds to Women's Shelters for Gay Support
From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 03:13:07 -0500

URGENT   URGENT  URGENT MESSAGE from     (PLEASE FORWARD)
Free Americans Creating Equal Status of South Dakota, Inc. (FACES of South
Dakota)
Barry Wick, Executive Director---605-343-5577, FAX 605-394-8962,  Email:
[email-masked]
(Barry Wick is not closely related to Rep. Hal Wick mentioned in the
following story...and wouldn't want to be.)

      South Dakota Legislators threaten battered  women's funding for gay
support

      It wasn't enough that South Dakota Legislators passed a bill denying
marriage to gays and lesbians, they're now attacking supporters of gay rights
in South Dakota, including battered women.   
     South Dakota Legislators Helena Hassard, R-Hot Springs and Hal Wick,
R-Sioux Falls are attempting to kill funding for South Dakota women's
shelters.  A quarter of a million dollars in state aid could be denied to
shelters housing battered women because these legislators believe
organizations like the South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence &
Sexual Assault (SDCADVSA) hold "leftist" views regarding abortion and gay
rights.  
     SDCADVSA Lobbyist RoAnn Redlin of Vermillion had testified in front of
House and Senate committees in opposition to HB 1143, a bill designed to ban
marriage for same-sex partners.  Because of that testimony, Rep. Wick said he
believes South Dakotans shouldn't support continued funding for the women's
shelters.  Hassard and Wick, heard in radio interviews on South Dakota Public
Radio, told newsman Al Lundy that because of Redlin's representation of
organizations that support the choice of abortion for women and gay rights,
those organizations and the women's shelters she lobbies for should not
receive state funding.
     Redlin told Free Americans Creating Equal Status of South Dakota (FACES)
tonight that she had recieved about 10 calls of support.  She asked FACES to
spread the word and to flood Governor Bill Janklow's office with calls of
support for continued funding for the battered women's shelters.  "I've
received 10 calls in support and no hate calls.  Abortion is not the issue,"
said Redlin.  "They're just angry that I testified  in support of South
Dakota's gay community and against the marriage-ban bill 1143."
     RoAnn Redlin can be reached at 605-624-6447, 601 Poplar Ave., Vermillion
SD 57069 (no email)
     Here is the Governor's address:
     Governor William Janklow
     500 East Capital Ave.
     Pierre, SD
     57501-5070
     FAX 605-773-4711
     [email-masked]
     [email-masked] 

     (Any Representative be reached by writing to the Representative at

     The Capital
     500 East Capital Ave.
     Pierre, SD 57501-5070
     The Capital Fax Number for All Legislators (to be directed to
individuals only):  605-773-4576

A complete listing of South Dakota House and Senate members and fax numbers
is available on FACES webpages:
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/orgs/FACES  and
 http://www.qrd.org/qrd/usa/south_dakota/FACES