Date: Sun, 13 Mar 1994 10:21:00 EDT From: Song Weaver Subject: Legislative Victories and Defeats LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES AND DEFEATS FROM: Pat Heck, Virginians for Justice 3/10/94 The Virginia Senate passed hate crimes legislation yesterday by a vote of 34-4. Sexual orientation was NOT included in the bill. HB889 has already cleared the House. An unexpected ally, Sen. Mark Early (R-Chesapeake), spoke against the bill from the Senate floor, but was unsuccessful in convincing the Senate to kill the bill. On 3/7/94, a SenateCommittee sent the bill back to a subcommittee, increasing hopes that the bill might be dead for the session. The Committee hearing, attended by a large group of VJ members and supporters, included a lively debate on the exclusion of gays and lesbians, but to no avail. The next day the Senate Courts of Justice Committee called an impromptu meeting on the Senate floor and passed the bill. ------------- Senate Bill 88, a wide ranging bill to revamp portions of Virginia child custody and visitation regulations, saw a great deal of debate in the House of Delegates. Del. McClure (R-Centreville) attemped to include an amendment to ban gays and lesbians from being considered as persons with a "legitimate interest" in a child custody or visitation case. This amendment was DEFEATED on 3/9 by 2 votes on the floor of the House. There is though another amendment still included in the bill that similarly bans "felons". This amendment has drawn a great deal of fire and is anti- cipated to be removed in conference committee either today or tomorrow. The version passed by the Senate does not include either amendment. The "felon" amendment does not differentiate between convicted and accused felons. The House debate included discussion of the Crimes Against Nature law and the fact that it applies to both heterosexuals and homosexuals. VJ has been advised that the amendment is likely to be struck in conference committee. ------------- The 1994 General Assembly must finish all work on these bills by Saturday, so it is not likely that further constituent lobbying will be effective. Conference committee work on budgetary matters does not become public until 3/11, so there is no word on the anti-gay House budget amendment that would ban the extension of benefits to non-spousal partners of employees at Virginia universities. ------------- 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