Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 06:31:38 -0700 (PDT) From: jessea@uclink4.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman) Subject: (improved, with email and fax for Senators) ACTION ALERT: May 16 US Senate"Parental Rights" Committee Vote PARENTAL RIGHTS ACTION ALERT by Brian Gocial, People For the American Way (reposted with permission) In an effort to appease the Christian Coalition, Concerned Women for America, and other far-right organizations, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight passed the "Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act" on April 17th. The bill will be voted on by the full Judiciary Committee on May 16, 1996. The "Parental Rights and Responsibilities" Act, part of the Christian Coalition*s Contract with the American Family, states that no federal, state or local government "shall interfere with or usurp the right of a parent to direct the upbringing of the child of the parent." Issues surrounding education, health and mental health, discipline, and religious teaching are only some of the areas in which suits could be brought against a government entity or government employee. Under this legislation, a single, right-wing activist could sue: - a librarian for placing a book about a controversial subject on the shelves; - a teacher for having a classroom discussion about Romeo and Juliet and suicide; - a school counselor for advising a child about drug abuse counseling; -a police officer for reporting a case of suspected child abuse; and a child protective service worker for investigating allegations of neglect. While proponents say that they are merely seeking a federal "opt out," the legislation requires that government action be suspended until the matter goes to court. This will keep children in abusive homes, pull books off of shelves and out of classrooms, and interrupt locally-designed curriculum for an entire classroom. ACTION: Call the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and tell them to oppose Senate Bill 984, the "Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act." Call your Senator's office, if you have the number and your Senator is a member of the Judiciary Comm. (lsit below) or call the Committee number below if you do NOT know your Senator's phone number. UNITED STATE CONGRESS Senate Committee Memberships 104th Congress 1995-96 JUDICIARY SD-224, Dirksen Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; (202) 224-5225 [you can leave messages here for all committee members] Republicans Orrin Hatch (UT), Chmn. Phone#: 1-202-224-5251 Fax#: 1-202-224-6331 Strom Thurmond (SC) Phone#: 1-202-224-5972 Fax#: 1-202-224-1300 Alan Simpson (WY) senator@simpson.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-3424 Fax#: 1-202-224-1315 Charles Grassley (IA) uck_grassley@grassley.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-3744 Fax#: 1-202-224-6020 Arlen Specter (PA) 202-224-4254 senator_specter@specter.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-4254 Fax#: 1-202-228-1229 Hank Brown (CO) senator_brown@brown.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-5941 Fax#: 1-202-224-6471 Fred Thompson (TN) senator_thompson@thompsonsenate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-4944 Fax#: 1-202-228-3679 Jon Kyl (AZ) info@kyl.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-4521 Fax#: 1-202-224-2207 Michael DeWine (OH) senator_dewine@dewine.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-2315 Fax#: 1-202-224-6519 Spencer Abraham (MI) michigan@abraham.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-4822 Fax#: 1-202-224-8834 Democrats Joseph Biden Jr. (DE) senator@biden.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-5042 Fax#: 1-202-224-0139 Edward M. Kennedy (MA) senator@kennedy.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-4543 Fax#: 1-202-224-2417 Patrick Leahy (VT) senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-4242 Fax#: 1-202-224-3595 Howell Heflin (AL) Phone#: 1-202-224-4124 Fax#: 1-202-224-3149 Paul Simon (IL) senator@simon.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-2152 Fax#: 1-202-224-0868 Herbert Kohl (WI) senator_kohl@kohl.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-5653 Fax#: 1-202-224-9787 Dianne Feinstein (CA) senator@feinstein.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-3841 Fax#: 1-202-228-3954 Russell Feingold (WI) russell_feingold@feingold.senate.gov Phone#: 1-202-224-5323 Fax#: 1-202-224-2725 INFO OBTAINED FROM http://www.wald.com/office/clickUSA.html *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ OK TO RE-POST. Jessea Greenman The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) CHECK THIS OUT FOR TONS OF INFO - - http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/ Please cc us (for our files) on correspondence you send or receive re our action alerts.