Date: Fri, 22 Mar 96 16:41 EST From: Maggie Heineman Subject: Pennsylvania Expose - March 22, 1996 (Alert) In addition to sending this to pa-expose, ftr-pa, etc, I have an "Alert-List" alias and you are on it. Most, but not all, of the people on this list were subscribers to the "FTRN-Alerts" list, the predecessor to pa-explv. I hope that you will subscribe to pa-expose@critpath.org or to pa-explv@critpth.org. Also, if you are associated with an organization, send me your fax-number to get on the distribution for the 2-page fax-letter. It looks good. If you want me to remove you from my "Alert-List" alias, I am sure you will let me know. Maggie Heineman Communications Working Group, Fight the Right Network =============================================================== Pennsylvania Expose - March 22, 1996 Pennsylvania Expose (X-Poz) is a project of the Fight the Right Network Communications Working Group and People for the American Way. It is available within Pennsylvania as a Fax-letter. It is posted to pa-expose@critpath.org, ftr-pa@critpath.org, and ftr-l@aquilapub.com. It is also available through pa-explv (low volume) a one-way list dedicated to the distribution of X-Poz. ================================================================== A. STOP SENATE BILL 1441 - Support the Taylor Amendment B. HB 2105 -- The "Parental Rights" bill in Pennsylvania C. Introducing Pennsylvania Interfaith Groups D. The World According to Ron Gamble E. Calendar =================================================================== A. STOP SENATE BILL 1441 - Support the Taylor Amendment Compiled from action alerts from Pennsylvania NOW and ACT UP/Philadelphia Call your representative by Monday to defeat the legislation passed by the Senate. John Taylor will introduce an amendment from the floor which opposes the cuts to medical assistance and AIDS drug assistance and other evils in Senate bill 1441. Ask your representative and each of the targeted reps listed here to vote for the Taylor Amendment to keep 280,000 Pennsylvanians' access to live-saving health care. Pennsylvania House Switchboard - 717-787-2372 Info for suburban Philadelphia reps - 215-545-4666 Philadelphia reps: Rep. John Taylor: 215-545-5667 Rep. George Kenney: 215-934-5144 Rep. Marie Lederer: 215-426-6604 Rep. Michael McGeehen: 215-333-9760 Rep. Allan Butkovitz: 215-335-2521 Senate Bill 1441 is the Governor's proposal to drastically cut child support, cash assistance and medical assistance benefits for over 300,000 people in Pennsylvania. The people harmed by the Governor's plan include: Low income workers - SB 1441 ends all Medical Assistance for 284,000 Pennsylvanians in the first year alone who have no other health insurance. Low-wage workers, people receiving unemployment compensation, and other unemployed workers will lose their health insurance. About 122,500 of these people are women; over 21,300 are people over 55; over 24,000 have disabilities. Furthermore, this legislation guts good education and job training programs, trapping people in poverty and low-wage jobs. People Living with AIDS - The Governor's cuts to Medicaid would leave thousands of PWAs without health care. Children receiving child support - Children who get welfare are only allowed to get $50/month per family in child support. Now they want to take even the $50/month away. Older women - It ends all subsistence General Assistance benefits for over 37,000 people with disabilities over the next two years. Half of these people are women; many of them are over 55. Pennsylvania benefits are less than 37% of the federal poverty guidelines, and haven't increased in over six years. ================================================================== B. HB 2105--The "Parental Rights" bill in Pennsylvania Compiled from alerts from the Pennsylvania State Education Association's Committee for the Preservations of Public Education and The Fight the Right Network's Research Working Group This contradictory piece of legislation voids existing decisions and usurps local control. The title, "Local Control Restoration Act" misrepresents its intent. HB 2105 is sponsored by Rohrer, Gamble, Pitts and others and contains the Parental Rights Amendment favored by the hard right. Control is shifted not to the local community but to individual parents. The nationwide movement is promoted in the March 20 issue of the faxletter from the Focus on the Family. The faxletter, "Family Issues Alert" pushes the U.S. HR 1947 "Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act" which now has 140 sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Pennsylvania Family Institute has launched a new publication, "Families and Schools." The lead article in Vol.1. No.1. is by Rep. Samuel E. Rohrer (R, 128, the lead sponsor of PA HB 2105. Rohrer writes, "Outcome-based education (OBE), Goals 2000, and just about every other initiative of official departments of education strike at the heart of traditional education. The one common element of all these `new' educational approaches is the embracing of secular humanism, which is the exalting of man's philosophy of life and the trampling of the Christian view of life. . . . This bill is the first in the nation and focuses strictly on the issue of control." =================================================================== C. Introducing Pennsylvania Interfaith Groups Last week's premier issue of X-Poz reported on the (Philadelphia-based) Interfaith Working Group's launch of a nationwide Internet discussion group, religion@critpath.org, to provide information to help the advancement of queer-friendly religion in North America. The group is now inter- national with participants from Scotland and New Zealand. The coordinators are Chris and Barbara Purdom at iwg@libertynet.org. http://www.libertynet.org/~iwg/ This week we introduce two other Pennsylvania interfaith groups that are standing against theocracy and in support of the separation of church and state. In Montgomery County, a coalition of synagogues (Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative), churches, and Unitarian Universalist Fellowships have joined forces to work on countering the political activites of the Christian Coalition. The contact person is Morton L. Metersky . In Erie, Al Richardson is the coordinator of the Citizens Interfaith Council for Democracy (CICD) which was established in May 1995. The CICD has worked on a number of projects including the distribution of the pamphlet "Religion in the Public Schools: a Joint Statement of Current Law" in all of the public school districts of Northwestern Pennsylvania. The Internet list pa-expose@critpath.org provides an opportunity for groups such as these, and others around the state to share ideas and resources and to act as catalyst for developing other groups with similar missions. Contact ==================================================================== D. The World According to Ron Gamble Gamble is the Number 2 cosponsor of HB. 2105 the "Pennsylvania Education Restoration Act." this week he led the fight against affirmative action. >From the March 19, 1996 Philadelphia Inquirer (B1): Rep. Ron "Huck" Gamble (D. Allegheny) said the aim of the bill was to get rid of "preferential treatment" and make certain that hiring decisions are based on merit, not race or gender. Speaking of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Gamble said "He asked us not to judge one another by our color, but by our character." Gamble added, "The liberal social engineers went berserk patronizing the women and minorities." Gamble offered no evidence that women or minorities were receiving special treatment in Pennsylvania ===================================================================== E. Calendar Tuesday, March 26 - 5:30 PM Forum: "Police Accountability: Problems, Solutions, and the Role of Special Commissions," Co-Sponsored by ACLU-PA The Wanamaker Conference Center Wanamaker Bldg., Suite 1010 Juniper and Market Sts. Philadelphia Thursday, March 28 - 7:30 PM Interfaith Coalition for Religious Pluralism, Get-Out-The-Vote Meeting with Marjorie Margolies Mezvinsky Temple Beth David, Gladwynne Call for more info: 610-896-7485 Friday, April 5 Gay & Lesbian Voters Guide availability Contact Steve Black 215-735-0852 or Chris Young 412-421-4470 Tuesday, April 9 - 10:00 AM Rally to support HB 940, Campaign Finance Reform Sponsored by Citizen Action Harrisburg, Capitol Rotunda Call for more info: Citizen Action, 215-592-4474 Friday, April 19 - 3:30 PM The Alliance for Progressive Action Forum "Rush Limbaugh's Reign of Error" featuring Jeff Cohen, Executive Director, FAIR University of Pittsburgh Frick Fine Arts Auditorium Call Jan Neffke for more info: 412-363-4410 Friday, April 19 - 7:30 PM The Alliance for Progressive Action Forum "Media Merger Mania and the Public Interest" featuring Jeff Cohen, Executive Director, FAIR Carnegie Mellon University Doherty Hall, Rm 2315 Call Jan Neffke for more info: 412-363-4410 Saturday, April 20, 10 AM - 4PM "Philadelphia Freedom to Marry Conference" featuring Evan Wolfson, Andrew Koppelman, and Lavi Soloway. Friends Center 1515 Cherry Street Philadelphia Sponsored by the Interfaith Working Group 215-389-1400 (Box 2) Saturday, April 20, 6:30 PM "Interfaith service celebrating the institution of marriage" Follow-up to the Freedom to Marry Conference Featuring local artists performing traditional wedding music, and Father Paul Washington giving the homily. Philadelphia Tabernacle United Church 3700 Chestnut St. Call 215-389-1400 (Box 2). Send email to Barbara Purdom (purdom@critpath.org) Tuesday, April 23 Citizen Action -- Election Day Volunteers Needed. Volunteer for Citizen Action on election day. Call Mike Morrill: 215-592-4474 Sunday, April 28 - 2:00 PM Speaking Out & Speaking Up for Tolerance, Diversity & Equality Sponsored by The Alliance for Tolerance & Freedom. Many c-sponsors. Lancaster Jewish Community Center For more info call Laura Montgomery Rutt: 717-581-1029 ================================================================= Pennsylvania Expose - March 22, 1996 Pennsylvania Expose is published three times a month. It is based on postings to the pa-expose@critpath.org Internet mailing list and available as an e-letter or fax-letter. mail to: pa-expose-request@critpath.org in the body: info pa-expose Send news, and inquiries about faxletter distribution, to: ---FTRN Communications Working Group --- 215.389.1400 http://www.critpath.org/ftrn/ ---People for the American Way --- 800-326-7329 http://www.pfaw.org/ ==================== Permission to Repost ========================