Date: Sat, 18 Mar 1995 07:00:19 -0500 (EST) From: David Casti Subject: ACTION ALERTS: TEXAS Submitted by: WesOfGLA@aol.com (This message adds Texas _HOUSE_ contact information to the 3/16 message about a Texas _Senate_ committee considering Hate Crime legislation.) ACTION: The Hate Crime Bill in the Texas House is HB 365. Write your state representative and urge them to support and co-sponsor HB 365. You can write all State Representatives at P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768. If you don't know who your State Representative is, call your county clerk or the Chief Clerk of the House at (512) 463-0845. BACKGROUND: A hate crimes bill was passed in Texas two years ago. Conservatives withheld support from identifying the groups most often targeted in hate crimes. By doing so, the Legislature may have passed an unconstitutional law, experts say. To circumvent questions about the law's constitutionality, state Rep. Scott Hochbert has filed a Texas hate-crimes rewrite that copies a Wisconsin statute that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Conservatives are trying to keep "sexual orientation" out of the new bill. (From the 2/17/95 "Austin American Statesman", quoting Rep. Warren Chisum, one of our elected homophobes) "Chisum said Thursday he will not oppose enhancing criminal penalties for violent acts motivated...by...race, color, disability, religion, national origin or ancestry of the victim. But he draws the line at spelling out sexual orientation in the law. 'We think it sets precendent in the law to give special consideration to the gay and lesbian community just as if they were of the same stature as all minorities. This would give minority status to a human act, as opposed to being born black or brown or a woman, which are unavoidable indoctrinations into a minority group. (The bill says) now you can opt to be minority by making a human thought." [He doesn't seem to notice that one's religion is unquestionably a choice.] ***** WHAT: Texas Rep. Warren Chisum is introducing HB 87, which would define "family" and prohibit domestic partners from receiving state benefits. ACTION: Call or write your lawmaker and urge him/her to oppose HB 87. You can write all State Representatives at P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768. If you don't know who your State Representative is, call your county clerk or the Chief Clerk of the House at (512) 463-0845. ***** WHAT: Senator Jane Nelson of the Texas State Senate is introducing SJR 34, which would bring state wide Initiative & Referendums to Texas -- including anti-gay initiatives. ACTION: Write or call your state senator and urge him/her to oppose SJR 34. You can write all State Senators at P.O. Box 12068, Austin, TX 78711. If you don't know who your State Senator is, call your county clerk or the Chief Clerk of the House at (512) 463-0845. ***** ACTION: Call (TX State) Representative Chisum and tell him you find his comments deplorable. His phone number is (512) 463-0736. BACKGROUND: Warren Chisum, the leader of the influential 75-member Conservative Caucus, said he will lead a fight to exclude homosexual victims from the state's hate-crimes law because they "put themselves in harm's way." In the past two years, eight Texan men have been slain by attackers who allegedly sought them out because they were gay. "They go to parks and pick up men, and they don't know if that someone is gay or not" Chisum said. When asked whether he believed the victims were bringing the violence upon themselves, he said "Absolutely. The criminal element has found out that this is an easy group to prey upon."