Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 15:01:19 -0700 (PDT) (post.office MTA v2.0 0813 ID# 0-16358) with SMTP id AAA230 for ; Fri, 6 Jun 1997 15:17:03 -0700 From: Ellen McCormick June 6, 1997 For Immediate Release Contacts: Ellen McCormick, Legislative Advocate Laurie McBride, Executive Director Sam Catalano, Legislative Assistant LIFE: Californias Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and HIV/AIDS Lobby CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE: DEADLINE PASSES - TWO GAY CIVIL RIGHTS BILLS SURVIVE In brief: AB 53 (Murray)INACTIVE AB 54 (Murray)INACTIVE AB 101(Kuehl)FAILED AB 257(Villaraigosa)PASSED AB 492 (Keeley)FAILED AB 1059(Migden)PASSED After adjourning at 2:30 a.m. Friday morning, the California State Assembly had passed two pieces of gay/lesbian equal rights legislation and failed four others. We are very heartened by this weeks success, said Laurie McBride, Executive Director of LIFE Lobby, the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community should be proud of the good work weve accomplished this week - and outraged by the homophobia and hysteria still demonstrated by the conservative members of our legislature. The first bill that passed was AB 1059 (by Assembly Member Carole Migden), a measure which allows small employers the option of providing domestic partner health coverage benefits to their employees. Often large employers are the only businesses which can provide this type of coverage to their employees said Ellen McCormick, LIFE Lobby Legislative Advocate. Large employers have bargaining power with their selected HMO and can get any type of coverage they choose. Small employers are bound by the coverage that HMOs are willing to offer because of the low dollar amounts they bring in for a provider. AB 1059 will ensure that all of Californias businesses have access to the coverage they want. AB 1059 is the first bill of its kind to pass the State Assembly. Also passed this week was AB 257 (by Assembly Member Antonio Villaraigosa) which would add sexual orientation to Californias Fair Employment and Housing Act. This legislation is crucial for the lesbian, gay and bisexual community McCormick said, AB 257 provides nondiscrimination protections which are already current law, but are inaccessible to people because they dont appear in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). We will rally our community throughout the summer to urge the Governor to sign these two important bills. The gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community faced many losses this week, however. A very disappointing defeat was AB 101, Assembly Member Sheila Kuehls measure to protect Californias youth from gay-bashing in schools. Although the debate brought out eloquent statements from many in the State Assembly who support the bill, it also brought out some of the most cruel, misguided statements Ive ever heard made about our community, stated McBride. One Assembly Member, Peter Frusetta (R-Tres Pinos), told a story of cows on his farm that behaved in a homosexual manner and that it was unnatural. Another Assembly Member, Bernie Richter (R-Chico), spoke of the shortened life span of homosexuals, apparently due to HIV and AIDS. It is frightening how ignorant many legislators are about this issue - I do not believe that they are properly representing their constituencies by making such statements, McCormick concluded. AB 492 (by Assembly Member Fred Keeley), a measure to lengthen the filing time (from 30 days to a year) for workplace discrimination complaints based on sexual orientation was defeated on the Assembly floor. Also, AB 53 and AB 54 (both by Assembly Member Kevin Murray) were sent to the inactive file for lack of support. AB 53 would have allowed unmarried couples to adopt and AB 54 would have provided a statewide domestic partnership registry. ### LIFE: California's Lesbian/Gay and AIDS Lobby has been lobbying on behalf of California's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-affected communities since 1986. LIFE is the oldest and largest institution representing these communities in California's State Capitol and is proud to celebrate a decade of service.