FROM: Pat Heck, Virginians for Justice 2/16/94 Please distribute widely. If you want to receive occasional updates and you have not already subscribed then send the following message subscribe virginia-news to: majordomo@vector.casti.com This is a low-volume, moderated, announcements-only list. ----------- Here's the latest: House Bill 889, a hate crimes bill that was stripped of "sexual orientation" and "gender" by the House Courts of Justice Committee passed the full House on Tuesday, 2/15. ACTION: Call the your state Senator and ask for a NO vote unless "sexual orientation" is put back in. Try to be specific so they know that you support it if the language is reinstated. Call 1-800-889-0229 to leave messages for legislators. The people answering the phone sometimes ask only if you support or oppose legislation, so be sure they record your comments about the bill's language. There is a space on their sheets for recording comments. Call your senator's office directly if you don't want to rely on message takers. (numbers available from Legislative Services at 804-786-6530) ----------- HB310: Patron- Clement (D-Danville) is a friendly replacement to HB1185. Will allow conversion of life insurance benefits persons with Virginia Retirement System-supplied life insurance. This will assist persons who need access to their benefits do to terminal illnesses, such as AIDS. OUTLOOK: Good. Has passed the House and now moves to the Senate. ACTION: Call your Senator and ask for a YES vote on HB310. ----------- HB485: Authorizes funding for a pilot program to provide assistance to AIDS victims who need assistance paying their health insurance premiums. Would prevent some persons from relying on public assistance to pay medical bills much larger than the premiums themselves. OUTLOOK: Good. Has passed the House and now moves to the Senate (Commerce and Labor Committee) ACTION: Call your Senator and ask for a YES vote on HB485. ----------- The Amendment to the State Budget trumpeted by Del. Wilkins (R-Amherst) that would codify the current policy limiting benefit extension at VA universities to legally recognized spouses has not yet surfaced. ------------ HB1314, the revision to the Crimes Against Nature law, is dead for this session. We will be back next year!