Subject: LA-NEWS: Hate Crimes Bill
From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 20:06:34 -0400

LOUISIANA ELECTORATE of GAYS AND LESBIANS (LEGAL)
PO Box 70344
New Orleans, LA 70172-0344
504-383-8033 during session
504-525-7117 after session
BRIAN J. P. HARTIG
Statewide Dir, LEGAL

Attention!
The Hate Crimes Bill (SB 980) authored by Sen. Jon Johnson, D-New Orleans,
has passed the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee on a vote
of 4-3. Voting for the bill in committee: Heaton, McCain, Quezaire, Guzzardo.
Voting against the bill in committee: Theunissen, Windhorst, Kennard. Absent:
Russo.

SB 980 has now passed three of the four hurdles necessary for the bill to
become law (Senate committee, Senate floor, House committee). The final
hurdle, however, is where we have lost twice before (House floor). We need
your efforts in the form of telephone calls, visits, letters, faxes to your
elected state representatives in Baton Rouge.

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WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

First of all, if you do not know who your representative is, call your
Registrar of Voters office and find out.

Then, call your representative's number in Baton Rouge. You will probably
speak to a staffer who will take down your request for support of the Hate
Crimes bill. He or she will deliver it to your representative.

Finally, when you've made your telephone call, contact LEGAL via, our email
address: [email-masked]. Let us know whom you contacted, when and what was
said.

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To telephone a representative, call: 504-342-6945.

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To write your representative:
The following is a sample letter to post or FAX:

Dear Representative______________,
I am writing to ask that you support Sen. Jon Johnson's Hate Crimes Bill
(SB980), which you will be voting on soon. Hate Crimes have become an
increasing problem in our country -- so much so that President Bush signed
into law the Hate Crimes Statistics Act in 1990 to track them. Hate Crimes
tear at the very fabric of our society, dividing communities, building up
unnecessary walls and forcing people to live in fear, the victims of
terrorist-like tactics. Thirty-five other states have laws similar to the
legislation in SB 980, including such neighboring states as Mississippi,
Texas and Arkansas. Please support getting tough on this sort of crime and
help to make Louisiana the 36th state to protect its communities against
hate.

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end