From owner-freedom@idbsu.idbsu.edu Sat Jul 22 13:59:51 1995 Received: from mail1.its.rpi.edu (root@mail1.its.rpi.edu [128.113.100.7]) by abacus.oxy.edu (8.6.10/8.6.11) with ESMTP id NAA07326 for ; Sat, 22 Jul 1995 13:59:47 -0700 Received: from idbsu.idbsu.edu (idbsu.idbsu.edu [132.178.16.1]) by mail1.its.rpi.edu (8.6.9/8.6.4) with SMTP id QAA01628 for ; Sat, 22 Jul 1995 16:59:40 -0400 Received: from IDBSU.IDBSU.EDU by idbsu.idbsu.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 3337; Sat, 22 Jul 95 14:56:03 MST Received: from IDBSU.BITNET by IDBSU.IDBSU.EDU (Mailer R2.08) with BSMTP id 1614; Sat, 22 Jul 95 14:56:02 MST Received: from IDBSU.BITNET by IDBSU.BITNET (LISTSERV release 1.8b) with NJE id 1516 for FREEDOM@IDBSU.BITNET; Sat, 22 Jul 1995 14:56:02 -0700 Received: from IDBSU by IDBSU.IDBSU.EDU (Mailer R2.08) with BSMTP id 1608; Sat, 22 Jul 95 14:54:27 MST Received: from mail02.mail.aol.com by idbsu.idbsu.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with TCP; Sat, 22 Jul 95 14:54:25 MST Received: by mail02.mail.aol.com (1.37.109.16/16.2) id AA021386655; Sat, 22 Jul 1995 16:57:35 -0400 Message-ID: <950722165732_120661368@aol.com> Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 16:57:35 -0400 Reply-To: "FREEDOM - IDAHO'S CIVIL RIGHT FORUM" Sender: "FREEDOM - IDAHO'S CIVIL RIGHT FORUM" From: JCHACTIV@AOL.COM Subject: Idaho Attorney General Says New Initiative is Unconstit. X-To: LisaLGRP@aol.com, Activ8@aol.com, DiversityN@aol.com, ebrandt@uidaho.edu, AcluIDAHO@aol.com, 73422.1453@compuserve.com, PLUSIdaho@aol.com, FREEDOM@idbsu.idbsu.edu, YFFN@aol.com, LanerT@aol.com, averkare@isu.edu, jd@hpbs2682.BITNET, rohlfing@sspa.idbsu.edu, mi@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list FREEDOM Status: RO Content-Length: 2766 X-Lines: 43 July 21, 1995 Press Release Subject: No On 1 Coalition Applauds Attorney General's Opinion that the ICA's New Anti-Gay Initiative is Unconstitutional; Challenges ICA to Stop its Anti-Gay Efforts Contact: John C. Hummel, No On 1 Coalition, (208)345-9736 July 21, 1995; Boise, Idaho. Idaho Attorney General Alan Lance today issued a written opinion that the new anti-gay initiative proposed by the Idaho Citizens Alliance (ICA) is unconstitutional. In his "Certificate of Review" addressed to the Secretary of State, the Attorney General declined to give an opinion on the constitutionality of the initiative's "minority status" provision, because that issue is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court in its review of the Colorado Amendment Two case. Nevertheless, the Attorney General stated that all of the initiative's other provisions - its public funding, public schools, and public libraries clauses - pose serious First Amendment concerns and thus violate the Constitution. The Attorney General also stated that the initiative proposal's introductory language was confusing and inappropriate, and he recommended that it be deleted. Brian Bergquist, Chairperson of the No On 1 Coalition, the political group which led the statewide opposition that defeated Proposition One in 1994, expressed his appreciation for the Attorney General's review. "This confirms what we've suspected, that the ICA's new anti-gay initiative is truly the 'Son of One.' It's unconstitutional, just like Proposition One was," Bergquist stated. "This opinion is devastating to the ICA," Bergquist added, "because now two attorney generals, a Democrat and a Republican, have both advised them that their anti-gay initiative proposals are unconstitutional." The ICA had criticized the previous Attorney General, Democrat Larry EchoHawk, for his opinion that Proposition One was unconstitutional. "The ICA can no longer claim that the Attorney General's review of its anti-gay initiatives is politically-motivated," Bergquist said. "Attorney General Lance, a conservative Republican, has shown that there are serious constitutional problems with the discrimination that the ICA is attempting to write into our law." Bergquist challenged the ICA and its chairman, Kelly Walton, to drop their anti-gay initiative efforts. "The time has come for the ICA and Walton to face facts. No matter how they attempt to rewrite their anti-gay proposals, they are flawed and unconstitutional," Bergquist said. "The ICA should respect the Attorney General's opinion, and cease their useless attacks on gay and lesbian people and our nation's Constitution. Fighting another costly political battle over this divisive issue is simply not in the best interests of the people of Idaho." -30-