Subject: Fw: CA ACTION ALERT: DEFEAT ANTI-MARRIAGE BILL - AB 800
From: "Ellen McCormick" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 18:17:02 -0700

----------
> From: [email-masked]
> To: 
> Subject: CA ACTION ALERT:  DEFEAT ANTI-MARRIAGE BILL - AB 800
> Date: Thursday, May 01, 1997 12:08 PM
> 
> FROM THE L.A. FREEDOM TO MARRY COALITION
> AND THE L.A. GAY & LESBIAN CENTER
> 
> PLEASE DISTRIBUTE/FORWARD!!!
> 
> URGENT ACTION ALERT!
> 
> AB 800, THE ANTI-MARRIAGE BILL, WILL BE HEARD
> IN THE ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE;
> SB 911 FAILED TO PASS
> 
> Assembly Bill 800, the identical twin of the deceased bill, SB 911, has
been
> rescheduled to be heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Wednesday,
May
> 7th, 1997.
> 
> AB 800 (like SB 911) would prohibit California from recognizing
same-gender
> marriages performed legally in other states (in anticipation of a
favorable
> Hawai'i court decision).  Deceptively entitled the "California Defense of
> Marriage Act," AB 800 would declare that California has a strong public
> policy of only recognizing marriages contracted between one man and one
> woman, whether it be within or outside the state, and that same-sex
> relationships shall not be entitled to the benefits of marriage under
> California law.
> 
> Incidentally, SB 911 failed to pass in the State Senate Judiciary
Committee
> on Tuesday, April 22, 1997.  After being amended to include various
domestic
> partnership benefits, the revised bill only received two votes to pass
(it
> needed 5 votes for passage).
> 
> Please send letters of opposition (see sample letter below) or call the
> following legislators/committee members and urge them to OPPOSE AB 800.
>  Letters and/or calls should go to:
> 
> THE HONORABLE (NAME)
> CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY
> SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA  95814
> 
> Assemblymember Martha Escutia (D - Huntington Park)
> Chair, Judiciary Committee
> Phone:  916-445-8188, Fax:  916-324-0012
> 
> Assemblymember Dion Aroner (D - Oakland)
> Phone:  916-445-7554; Fax:  916-445-6434
> 
> Assemblymember Louis Caldera (D - East Los Angeles)
> Phone:  916-445-4843; Fax:  916-443-6812
> 
> Assemblymember Dick Floyd (D - Carson)
> Phone:  916-445-3134; Fax:  916-322-0655
> 
> Assemblymember Fred Keeley (D - Santa Cruz)
> Phone:  916-445-8570; Fax:  916-445-1826
> 
> Assemblymember Tom McClintock (R - Granada Hills)
> Phone:  916-445-8366; Fax:  916-322-2005
> 
> Assemblymember Deborah Ortiz (D - Sacramento)
> Phone:  916-445-1611; Fax:  916-327-3338
> 
> Assemblymember Rod Pacheco (R - Riverside)
> Phone:  916-445-0854; Fax:  916-323-7179
> 
> Assemblymember Kevin Shelley (D - San Francisco)
> Phone:  916-445-8253; Fax:  916-324-4899
> 
> Short, handwritten letters are the most effective.
> 
> For further information, call the Public Policy Dept. at 213-860-7350.
> Please fax or e-mail a copy of your letter to the Center:
> Fax:  213-860-7369, E-Mail:  [email-masked]
> 
> If you would like to be removed from the Center's E-Mail Action Alert
> Listing,
> please reply indicating in the subject and text area the following:
> "REMOVE E-MAIL ACTION ALERT"
> 
> Thank you.
>
****************************************************************************
**
> ********************
> SAMPLE LETTER FORMAT
> (Sample Only!  Please Use Your Own Words.)
>                                     
>                                     
>                                     
> May ____, 1997
>                                     
>                                     
>                                     
> The Honorable (Assemblymember's Name)
> California State Assembly
> Sacramento, California  95814
> 
>      Re:  OPPOSITION TO ASSEMBLY BILL 800
> 
> Dear Assemblymember (LAST NAME):
> 
> I am writing [insert examples:  "as a concerned California resident," "as
a
> life-long Republican (or Democrat)," "as a parent," "as a lesbian
California
> voter," as a straight person who supports civil rights for all
Californians,
> including gay and lesbian people," etc.] to urge you to oppose AB 800,
the
> anti-marriage bill.  This is a blatantly discriminatory and
unconstitutional
> bill with which California should not be associated [or, insert a
sentence
> that describes your primary objection to the bill, e.g., "This bill
serves no
> purpose other than to stigmatize a group of Californians, singling out
> lesbian and gay Californians as second-class citizens," "The freedom to
marry
> is a basic human right and a personal choice that should not be denied to
> anyone."]
> 
> PLEASE OPPOSE AB 800.  Thank you.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> 
> SIGNATURE
> PRINT NAME
> HOME or BUSINESS ADDRESS
> (Be sure to include your address)
> 
> 
> Short, personal handwritten letters are the most effective.
> 
> 
> 
>