Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 18:39:05 -1000 From: Mia H H Lam Subject: UPDATE #4; ACTION ALERT (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 16:11:18 -1000 From: Amy Sawyer Subject: UPDATE #4; ACTION ALERT **ACTION ALERT** Date: May 17, 1999 To: Friends of POC/ACLU Fr.: Amy Sawyer, ACLU Legislative Coordinator Re: Update #4 Another deadline has passed in the Legislature. This deadline known as "cross-over" requires live bills to be transmitted to the opposing chamber for review. As a result of cross-overlast week, several bills (both good and bad) have died. LUCKILY, A FEW TROUBLING BILLS I REPORTED ON IN MY PREVIOUS UPDATE, DID NOT MAKE CROSS-OVER. THESE INCLUDE: * HB775 limiting marriage to opposite sex couples * SB1447 relating to religious freedom; would allow "religious freedom" as a defense in discrimination cases. (Expect this one to come up again next year). ALSO, SEVERAL GOOD BILLS FAILED TO GET HEARINGS AND HAVE ALSO DIED: * SB1315 - Domestic Partnership: Governor's bill. Redefines reciprocal beneficiaries to persons who are not related by blood and who cannot marry. Gives RBs the legal rights that accrue to married couples. * SB820 - Pay Equity: Prohibits wage discrimination due to sex, race and national origin. * HB1157 - Medical Use of Marijuana: Ensures that severely ill or terminal ill patients are not penalized by the state for obtaining and using marijuana for medical purposes. * SB862 - Medical Marijuana: Allows for the acquisition, possession, cultivation, distribution, transportation, administration and use of marijuana for medical purposes. BELOW ARE THE REMAINING BILLS WE ARE WATCHING CLOSELY. For more information about how to get involved in legislative issues, view the Legislature's Citizen's Guide: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/CitizensGuide/ProcessGuide/proces03.htm Issues (in the order they appear in this update): 1. G/L/B/T (issues affecting Gay, Lesb, Bi, Trans communities) 2. WOMEN 1. G/L/B/T SB321 - Marriage: short form bill relating to marriage. COMMITTEES/STATUS: Referred to Senate Judiciary committee; not scheduled for hearing. This bill did not technically cross-over, however, short form bills remain alive and are often used later in the session as bargaining chips between bodies. We are monitoring it in the event it resurfaces unexpectedly. OUR POSITION: None at this time because the bill does not have any content. Should it be amended to include language limiting marriage to opposite sex couples, ACLU would vigorously oppose it. IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: No immediate action needed at this time. We will keep you posted! SB1151 SD1 - Discrimination: Prohibits discrimination on the basis of "sexual orientation" in public accommodations (i.e., restaurants) and housing. COMMITTEES/STATUS: This bill passed through the Senate Judiciary committee on the last possible day prior to cross-over. It then encountered opposition on the Senate floor (9 of 26 Senators voted against its passage: Anderson, Buen, Bunda, M. Ige, Kawamoto, Matsuura, Sakamoto, Slom, Tanaka). This bill then crossed-over to the House where it has been referred to the Labor and Judiciary committees. To view the Senate bill as amended: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session1999/bills/sb1151_sd1_.htm OUR POSITION: ACLU strongly supports the inclusion of "sexual orientation" as a protected status in the area of housing and public accommodation. For more information about these bills, contact the bill's sponsor, the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission at 586-8636. IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: Call/email/fax House Labor Chair Terry Yoshinaga and urge her to schedule this bill for hearing. Contact information for the House (including tel/fax/email): http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/CitizensGuide/repdir.htm We have been told that Judiciary Chair, Paul Oshiro, would rather not hear this one because he doesn't want the controversy or any heat from the religious right. Call/email/fax House Judiciary Chair Paul Oshiro and communicate your position. Tell him you would like to see this bill given the attention it deserves. Contact information for the House (including tel/fax/email): http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/CitizensGuide/repdir.htm SB605 SD1 - Hate Crimes: Establishes civil cause of action and sentence enhancement for hate crimes against persons because of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, transgender, sexual orientation, age or disability. COMMITTEE/STATUS: This bill passed through the Senate Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees. It received no opposition on the Senate floor and crossed-over to the House where it has been referred to the House Labor and Judiciary committees. It has yet to be scheduled in either committee. To view bill text: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session1999/bills/sb605_sd1_.htm OUR POSITION: Although the ACLU agrees with the intent of this bill, we see problems with certain sections of it.To view ACLU's testimony on hate crimes, go to: http://www.acluhawaii.org/legislature/hate_crimes_1999-01-29.html IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: Call/email/fax House Labor Chair Terry Yoshinaga and urge her to schedule this bill for hearing. Contact information for the House (including tel/fax/email): http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/CitizensGuide/repdir.htm 2. WOMEN For more information on women focused legislation, contact the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women at 586-5757 or email: hscsw@pixi.com (their website in currently under construction and should be up soon). HB532 HD3 - Gender Equity in Sports: Prohibits persons, on the basis of their sex, from being discriminated against in any interscholastic, club, or intramural athletics offered by a public school. Prohibits public schools from providing athletics separately on the basis of sex. COMMITTEES/STATUS: HB532 HD3 passed through the House Education, Judiciary and Finance committees. It received no opposition on the House floor and crossed-over to the Senate where it has been referred to the Senate Education and Ways and Means committees. The Senate Education committee scheduled this bill for hearing today, March 17th. To view bill text: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session1999/bills/hb532_hd3_.htm OUR POSITION: ACLU strongly supports this bill. IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: Assuming this bill passes the education committee today, we recommend you call/email/fax Senate Ways and Means Co-chairs Fukunaga and Levin and communicate your position. Contact information for the Senate (including tel/fax/email): http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/CitizensGuide/sendir.htm SB822 SD2 - Contraceptive services: Requires all health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to cease excluding contraceptive services and supplies from coverage by repealing the provision of such coverage as an employer option. COMMITTEES/STATUS: SB822 passed through the Senate Health and Consumer Protection committees. It received no opposition on the Senate floor with the exception of one objection from Senator Slom. It crossed-over to the House and has been referred the Consumer Protection and Finance committees. It has not yet been scheduled for hearing. To view bill text: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session1999/bills/sb822_sd2_.htm OUR POSITION: ACLU strongly supports both bills. To view ACLU's recent testimony on this issue: http://www.acluhawaii.org/legislature/contraceptive_1999-02-18.html IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: Call/email/fax House Consumer Protection Chair Ron Menor and urge him to schedule this bill for hearing. Contact information for the House (including tel/fax/email): http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/CitizensGuide/repdir.htm HB531 - Prison/Drug Rehab: Money bill for the expansion of an in-prison drug rehabilitation program (called KASHBOX) to ensure equal access for both male and female prisoners. A tiny minority of female prisoners receive in-prison drug rehabilitation. This bill would require the better funded KASHBOX program (previously offered only in the men's prison) be offered equally to incarcerated females. COMMITTEES/STATUS: This passed through the House Public Safety and Finance committees. It received no opposition on the House floor and crossed over to the Senate where it has been referred to the Judiciary and Ways and Means committees. The Judiciary Committee has scheduled this bill for hearing tomorrow, March 18th. To view bill text: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session1999/bills/hb531_.htm To find out how and where to testify: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session1999/hearingnotices/NOTICE_JDC_03-18-99_.htm OUR POSITION: The ACLU of Hawaii has always been a strong advocate for alternatives to incarceration including drug rehabilitation programs for non violent offenders. It is not acceptable to unequally fund drug rehabilitation programs. ACLU therefore, strongly supports this bill. IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: Call/email/fax Senate Judiciary Co-chairs Matsunaga and Chumbley and communicate your position or testify at tomorrow's hearing. Contact information for the Senate (including tel/fax/email): http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/CitizensGuide/sendir.htm I welcome all questions, comments and feedback. Sincerely, Amy Sawyer ACLU Coalition Coordinator P.O. Box 3410 Honolulu, HI. 96801 808/ 941-5849 direct phone asawyer@hawaii.edu 808/522-5906 ACLU Hot Line 808/522-5909 ACLU fax ACLU email: office@acluhawaii.org http://www.acluhawaii.org (ACLU webpage) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Message sent with Aureate Group Mail Free Edition http://software.aureate.com