Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 23:44:50 -0500 From: Maggie Heineman Subject: Pennsylvania Expose -- April 1, 1997 The formatted, hardcopy version of Pennsylvania Expose is available by fax in Pennsylvania and on the World Wide Web at http://www.libertynet.org/~exposepa/ =============================================================== Pennsylvania Expose April 1, 1997 Issue 16 May 3 -- 4, 1997 -- PENNSYLVANIA ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY CONFERENCE -- t23@email.psu.edu and lmrutt@lancnews.infi.net Are you concerned about intolerance? Are you an advocate for economic justice, reproductive rights, civil rights, gay rights, religious liberty, quality public education? This conference will provide you with opportunities to learn and network with individuals and organizations concerned about the issues. The conference will focus on organizing your community, mobilizing your allies, and networking with other advocates and organizations. The conference will be held at the Atherton Hotel in State College, PA. The hotel is wheelchair accessible and ASL interpretation will be provided. Cost is $55.00, payable to PAD, PO Box 366, Harrisburg, PA 17108-0366. For hotel reservations ($75 single, $85 double), call the Atherton Hotel by April 10 at 1-800-832-0132. Mention the PA Alliance for Democracy for special room rates. Call Joanne at 814-355-3056 if you need child care. The Body Politic has set up a brochure for the PAD Conference on the web. It is great!! The web site includes a copy of the registration form for the conference. If you do not have a copy of the registration form, you can print out the one on this site. Check it out at http://www.bodypolitic.org/news/all_demo.htm. Why ACLU Supports Recognition Of An Anti-Gay Group By Larry Frankel ACLU Aclulegis@aol.com February 27 -- The First Amendment provides vital protection to the most persecuted groups in the United States. The price of such protection is allowing associations with which we may not personally agree to exist along with those which enhance and support the community. State institutions are barred by the Constitution from determining which associations are "appropriate" and which are not. The ACLU is particularly sensitive to this problem because we are so often called upon to defend the rights of individuals who are barred from speaking or organizing due to prejudice and bias. The recent appearance of STRAIGHT (Students Reinforcing Adherence In General Heterosexual Tradition) at The Pennsylvania State University has grabbed the attention of the media. However, the majority of First Amendment cases overwhelmingly involve groups that have traditionally faced overt discrimination. In 1991, the Auburn Gay and Lesbian Alliance (AGLA) applied for permanent status as an Auburn student group. It was rejected on the basis that the AGLA "did not meet the idea[l]s entrusted to the Student Senate on behalf of the students of Auburn." The Alabama legislature subsequently enacted a law which prohibited Alabama Universities from providing support to groups which "promoted" homosexuality. With the help of the ACLU, the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Alliance (GLBA), a student group at the University of South Alabama, successfully challenged the anti-gay law in 1993. The trial judge found that the law imposed "impermissible content- and viewpoint-based limitations on the freedom of expression and association." The initial refusal to grant STRAIGHT organizational status may have been motivated by a desire to protect the Penn State University's gay community and to maintain a tolerant school environment, but its actions are misguided. The student court's decision clearly discriminates against a viewpoint -- the same action the Alabama court ruled unconstitutional. The school's sanction of STRAIGHT should not be regarded as a sponsorship of the ideals upon which the anti-gay group is founded. Rather it should be seen as a demonstration of Penn State's commitment to a broader promotion of tolerance and protection which will, in the long run, provide the greatest benefits to those groups who are offended by STRAIGHT and its goals. Critical Battle To Preserve Roe v. Wade In The Senate Aclulegis@aol.com Ignoring the Constitution as well as the advice of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the House of Representatives on March 20, 1997, passed HR 929 which would ban a range of abortion techniques. The ban, which is aimed most directly at preventing an abortion procedure known as "Intact Dilation and Extraction" or "D & E," represents the most serious attack on women's reproductive rights in the last ten years. The legislation calls for a ban on "partial birth abortions." The term "partial-birth abortion" is unrecognized by the medical community and wholly invented by abortion opponents to mislead the public. HR 929 does not include an exception to protect the health of the mother!!! While nearly 90 percent of all abortions take place in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, D&E is one of the safest methods available to preserve the life, health and/or fertility of those women who need abortions later in pregnancy. Many women, like Coreen Costello, Vikki Stella, Vicki Wilson, and Tammy Watts, who testified before Congress, need a D&E abortion make heart-wrenching decisions to end their pregnancies. These women made this decision because of health risks to themselves or because of fetal anomalies, some so serious that the fetus has no chance to survive outside the womb. The proposed legislation would subject doctors who perform a D&E abortion to criminal prosecution. Physicians will be forced to weigh whether they should use a medical procedure they believe to be in the best interest of their patient, thereby risking violation of federal law and going to jail. Legislators should not regulate medicine in a way that will undermine the safety of patients. Decisions about the best surgical techniques for abortion are best left in the hands of doctors, patients and their families. We Need Your Help!!! Senator Arlen Specter voted both ways on this issue last year. After initially voting against the ban, Specter reversed himself and supported the Senate's attempted override of President Clinton's veto. It is vitally important that Senator Specter hear that his constituents want him to fight this attack on reproductive freedom and vote against any legislation that would ban an abortion procedure. We expect a vote in the Senate sometime in April. Conservative groups like the Christian Coalition have been actively lobbying Pennsylvania Senators to support this anti-choice legislation. We must do our part to let Senator Specter know that many Pennsylvanians oppose the ban. Please write to Senator Specter and describe your opposition to the ban. Urge him to urge you to oppose any bills that claim to ban "partial birth abortions". The Senator's address is: The Honorable Arlen Specter U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 senator_specter@specter.senate.gov 202-224-4254 Bradford County Alliance For Democracy By Clark Moeller moeller@epix.net The Bradford County Alliance For Democracy (BCAD) has a 'genealogy' that goes back at least 25 years. The Bradford County Alliance For Democracy (BCAD) was formed in 1995 and was an out growth of the Bradford County Coalition For Choice, which began about 1990. Many of these same people had been activists in the Bradford County People for Peace (BCPP) which succeeded the of the Bradford County Nuclear Freeze Group, which was started in the 1970s. An off shoot of the People For Peace was the Task Force to End Corporal Punishment in The Public School which formed in 1987. It was successful in getting corporal punishment of school children ended defacto in all the County's schools. During the last year the Bradford County Alliance For Democracy (BCAD) has focused on church/state separation issues. Much of this work has been behind the scenes and not public. For example, we worked with our County Commissioners successfully to head off National Day of Prayer ceremonies on the Court House steps. We worked with our County's President Judge to get a local District Justices to stop using his office to promote his brand of religion. We worked with the County Commissions on the issue of using churches as voting places. We successfully worked with the editor of our local newspaper to get a balance between conservatives and liberal columnists. Currently, we are sending out to school districts guidelines about school prayer and a warning that we will go to court on these issues. Also the BCAD is reviewing PAD's policy statements with an eye to adopting these or a modification of these. Welfare Reform In Pennsylvania By Joel Weisburg Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition PaJwshCltn@aol.com Under new welfare legislation signed by the President on August 22, 1996, block grants to states will replace welfare entitlements. Dramatic changes will be seen in many areas. Cash Assistance: The 61-year-old Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) has been replaced by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program. Under this program, a family is limited to 60 months of assistance in a lifetime. After any adult in a family has received 60 months of help, the entire family is excluded. The state may choose to exempt 20% of its caseload from the lifetime limit. Except for the exemption, the 60 month limit applies to any program funded under TANF, including counseling, parenting classes, or emergency assistance. Work Requirement: In order to continue to be eligible for assistance after receiving aid for 24 months, even if not consecutive, a recipient must be doing some kind of work. Work is broadly defined to include subsidized or unsubsidized work in the public or private sector; work experience on public projects; on-the-job training; community service; providing child care for someone in a community service program; 6 weeks of job search or job readiness training; and vocational education for up to 12 months. The state must also meet minimum work requirements. In 1998, 30% of the caseload must be doing some work activity for at least 20 hours per week, and 75% of two-parent families must be at work for at least 35 hours a week. Food Stamps: The totally federally funded food stamp program will be cut by more than $27 billion over the next six years. Hardest hit by these reductions will be the elderly, who will lose about 25% of their benefits and the working poor who will lose about 20 percent. The two largest groups rendered ineligible for food stamps are current and future legal immigrants and able-bodied persons age 18-50 who do not have minor children in their care. Those between 18 and 50 will be subject to stringent work requirements. They will be eligible for benefits for only three months in each 36-month period unless they are working or in a job program 20 hours per week. Unfortunately, Congress has provided very little funding for workfare slots. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that in an average month, food stamps will be denied to one million unemployed poor who would take a workfare slot if one were available to them. States may request waivers from the work requirements for certain areas. Impact on Children: The Urban Institute has estimated that the welfare bill will put about 1.1 million more children into poverty. Children will be affected because of major cuts in child nutrition programs, changes in eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and insufficient funding for child care programs. Calendar April May 01 02 03 04 05 01 02 03 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 27 28 29 30 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 April -- May 1997 -- PUBLIC HEARINGS: SPEAKOUT AGAINST WELFARE CUTS -- panow@libertynet.org Public hearings on the impact of the Federal and State Welfare Reforms acts are being held throughout Pennsylvania in March through May. The hearings are sponsored by the Pennsylvania NOW Education Fund, Kensington Welfare Rights Union, and the Coalition for the Welfare of Women and Children. These hearings are being held to gather the stories about the impact of Act 35 and the federal welfare cuts on the women and children of Pennsylvania. Therefore, only recipients and former recipients will be presenting testimony at these hearings. If you or someone you know would be willing to provide testimony at one of these hearing, contact the PA NOW Education Fund (see below). Let the Fund know at which hearing you would like to speak. Your name and phone number will be forwarded to the NOW chapter that is organizing that particular hearing. Hearings are being scheduled in the following towns. For further information, contact PA NOW Education Fund at 215-365-2770 or send e-mail panow@libertynet.org. Updates will also be posted on Pennsylvania NOW's web site at http://www.libertynet.org:80/~panow/ April 3: Pittsburgh, City Council Chambers, time to be announced. April 17: York, time and place to be announced April 24: Monroe County, time and place to be announced. May 8: Tioga County, time and place to be announced. May 15: Blair County, time and place to be announced. May 22: Erie County, time and place to be announced. APRIL -- May 1997 -- EDUCATION & VIGILANCE NETWORK WORKSHOPS -- Floyd Cochran, evn@jane.penn.com, http//users.penn.com/~evn/index.html Floyd Cochran, Director of Education & Vigilance Network, will be conducting a series of hate group awareness workshops, seminars and high school visits throughout the Northeast. Here is the April Schedule, We look forward to seeing you, feel free to contact the appropriate people for more information. April 3, 1997 -- Obisonia, PA -- United Methodist Church -- 7 P.M. to 9 P.M. Ann Van Dyke and Floyd Cochran -- Topic "State of Hate in PA." Contact Number (717) 783-8438 April 8, 1997 -- Manhattanville College -- Purchase, NY -- 7:30 P.M. to 9 P.M. -- Contact Person Claude Steele (914) 323-5153 April 10, 1997 -- ARIN Conference -- Shelocta, PA -- 8:45 A.M. to noon and 1:30 to 5. Contact person - (412 ) 463-5300 ext 201 Topic: "The Message of Organized Hate" April 11, 1997 -- Holocaust Workshop -- Runnemeade, NJ -- Contact Rebecca Aupperle (609) 931-5353 April 17, 1997 -- Jefferson Community College -- Watertown, NY Contact Karen Wharton (717) 232-0829 April 23, 1997 -- Toby Hanna Military Base -- Toby Hanna, Workshop -- Contact Bob Hillman (717) 421-3413 April 24, 1997 -- Jewish Community Center -- Harrisburg, PA -- 7:30 P.M. Contact Karen Wharton (717) 232-0829 April 4, 1997 -- INTERGENERATIONAL FEMINIST CONFERENCE -- Panow@libertynet.org "Envisioning Our Future: Feminism Across the Generations." The conference will be held at Temple University, Student Activity Center, 13th and Montgomery Streets, Philadelphia, from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Reception is scheduled from 5:00-6:30 p.m. Workshops organized by and for feminist youth, as well as workshops for the more seasoned feminists. Here will be a special presentation by Bernice Johnson Reagon and Toshi Reagon. To receive a conference brochure, email PA NOW at panow@libertynet.org, or contact Temple University Women's Studies Program at 215-204-6954. April 24, 1997 -- TAKE OUR DAUGHTERS TO WORK DAY -- t23@email.psu.edu The fifth annual Take Our Daughters to Work(r) Day for girls age 9 to 15 will take place on Thursday, April 24, 1997. This international public education program, sponsored by the Ms. Foundation for Women and many other organizations, was launched in 1993. Take Our Daughters to Work(r) is designed to celebrate girls' worth - encouraging them to value their opinions and ideas, to use their voices to speak their minds, to ask questions, and to live proudly in their bodies as they are! To learn more and to become involved, visit Ms' home page at http:\\www.ms.foundation.org/index.html. * * * Pennsylvania Expose Copyright (c) 1997 Pennsylvania Alliance for Democracy P.O. Box 366, Harrisburg PA 17108 President, Clark Moeller http://www.libertynet.org/~exposepa/ * * * Permission to reproduce, unaltered, in whole or in part, with copyright notice. * * * Editor Joanne Tosti-Vasey t23@email.psu.edu Design-Layout-Editing Joseph Bordo starwalker@earthlink.net