Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 17:29:26 -0400 (EDT) From: David Casti Submitted by: LEGALinc@aol.com LOUISIANA ELECTORATE of GAYS AND LESBIANS (LEGAL) PO Box 70344 New Orleans, LA 70172 BRIAN HARTIG Exec Dir (504) 383-8033 ATTENTION! House Bill 290, the JUSTIFIABLE MURDER OF AN AIDS CARRIER BILL, authored by Rep. Roy Brun, R-Shreveport, Dist. 5, is tentatively set for hearing Wednesday (19 APRIL) at 10 AM in the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee. House Bill 290 states that "A homicide is justifiable: (1) When committed in self-defense by one who reasonably believes that he is in imminent danger of losing his life or receiving great bodily harm, including but not limited to the immediate transmission of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or the human immune deficiency virus infection (HIV-I) from another, and the the killing is necessary to save himself from that danger." If Rep. Brun's bill is passed it is possible that anyone accused of killing another person could raise the defense that they only did so because they felt that they were in danger of being given the AIDS virus. Also, the bill could give someone who is accused of killing another in the heat of passion -- because the other person is gay or lesbian -- a "fall-back" or an "easy out" when the killer is stating his defense. The killer could raise the defense that he was simply protecting himself. ***************************************************************** WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP KILL THIS BILL If this bill passes out from the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee to the House floor for a vote, then we will be that much closer to it becoming the law. Get in touch with those members of the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee -- particularly if any of those members are your elected representatives -- and tell them that you want them to vote "NO" on this bill and why. ***************************************************************** COMMITTEE MEMBERS' PHONE NUMBERS: To call a representative, the general purpose line -- in case the individual representatives' lines are busy -- is (504) 342-6945. House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee CHAIRMAN Rep. Raymond "LaLa" Lalonde, D-Carencro, Dist. 39 Ph no: (800) 259-8087 or (318) 262-5712, fax (318) 262-5110 VICE CHAIRMAN Rep. Donald Ray Kennard, D-Baton Rouge, Dist. 65 Ph no: (504) 342-9009 or fax (504) 342-0768 MEMBERS Rep. Buster Guzzardo, D-Independence, Dist. 72 Ph no: (800) 259-6377 or (504) 878-6377, fax (504) 925-6377 Rep. Audrey A. McCain, D-Plaquemine, Dist. 60 Ph no: (504) 687-2225, fax (504) 687-0754 Rep. Roy J. Quezaire, Jr., D-Donaldsonville, Dist. 58 Ph no: (800) 259-2024 or (504) 675-6551, fax (504) 473-1498 Rep. Michael W. Russo, D-Livonia, Dist. 18 Ph no: (800) 259-3859 or (504) 637-3859, fax (504) 637-2984 Rep. Gerald Theunissen, D-Jennings, Dist. 37 Ph no: (800) 259-0376 or (318) 824-0376, fax (318) 824-4780 Rep. Stephen J. Windhorst, R-Terrytown, Dist. 86 Ph no: (504) 342-6945 or (504) 394-8000 REMEMBER: The hearing on this bill is set tentatively for Wednesday, 19 APRIL. So, get those phone calls out pronto in order to get this horrendous, backward-sliding bill killed.