Equality Fairfax

This week saw legislative action on most of the remaining bills that Equality Virginia has been tracking, including the defeat of HB 1308 which would have allowed discrimination against Gay/Straight Alliances in Virginia schools.

Updates on all EV monitored legislation are highlighted below for you.  You can write or call the Constituent Hotline at 1-800-889-0229 to voice your opinion.

Below are measures that Equality Virginia Opposes:

HJ 41/SJ 92 Constitutional amendment (second resolution); marriage. Del. Robert Marshall and Senator Stephen Newman.   The actual amendment states, “That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.  This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.”

Both the Senate an House of Delegates have passed their own versions of the amendment, and now they are going through the opposing house.  On Friday, by a vote of 29-11 the Senate ratified the House resolution, HJ 41.  The House is expected to take up the Senate version next week.  While both bills are identical, it’s important to continue to urge your Senator and Delegate to oppose the amendment at every opportunity.

What you can do today:
Continue sending in your letters to the editors of your local papers!

HB 101 /SB 526  Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); marriage. Del. John A. Cosgrove and Senator Stephen Newman.  This is the “implementing” bill that defines when the voter referendum would be on the ballot (November 2006), and what voters would actually see if and when they vote on it. 

This week, the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections voted to include the entire text of the amendment in the ballot question that will be seen by voters.  That version was endorsed by the House of Delegates this week.  This legislation is now on the Governor’s desk.

HB 1308 School boards; authority to block use of school facilities by certain groups. Del. Matthew Lohr.  This bill is intended to allow discrimination against Virginia’s Gay/Straight Alliances by allowing school boards to mistake the nature of these groups, assuming that somehow they “encourage or promote sexual activity by unmarried minor students.”

Update: This bill passed the House of Delegates passed it 70-29, but was defeated by the Senate Education and Health Committee by a vote of 9-6 on March 2! 

Take Action : Contact  Senate Education & Health Committee members that voted against this misguided measure to thank them for their support!

Equality Virginia Supports These Following Bills:

SB 673 Health Insurance.  Senator Mary Margaret Whipple. This bill would have allowed Arlington County to offer expanded health care benefits to their employees. 

Update:  Although this bill passed the Senate by a vote of 35-5, it was “passed by indefinitely”, or defeated in the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns by a vote of 13-9.  Write and thank those Delegates who voted for this bill today!

SB 700 Employment discrimination.   Senators Mamie Locke and Louise Lucas.    Prohibits workplace discrimination for all state, local and public school employees on the basis race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation or disability.

Update:  This bill was defeated in the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee by a vote of 8-6.  Write those Senators who cast their vote against discrimination and thank them for standing up for equality!

This bill, introduced by Senator Whipple, would allow local municipalities to extend health benefits.

The text from the General Assembly website reads:

Provides that any locality that self-funds a health insurance program for their officers and employees may extend coverage under such program by any other class of persons as may be mutually agreed upon by the locality and the policyholder.

This bill passed the Senate by a vote of 35-5 and is now in the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns.

Please take action today on the following measures below!  Send a free email or call the constituent hotline at 1800-889-0229.

Anti-GSA Bill Defeated

By a vote of 9-6 this morning, the Senate Education and Health Committee defeated HB 1308, Del. Matt Lohr’s (R-Harrisonburg) bill intended to allow discrimination against Gay/Straight Alliances (GSAs) in Virginia schools. 

Take a moment to thank those Senators who voted against this misguided legislation.   Send a free email !

Support Arlington County Health Care Bill

Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D-Arlington) has introduced legislation, SB 673, to allow Arlington Co. to provide expanded health care benefits to county employees and their families. 

This bill passed the Senate 35-5 and will be before the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns on Friday, March 3. 

Please write or call your Delegate today and urge him or her to support this common-sense measure to allow Arlington and other counties to compete for the best and brightest employees.

Please take a moment to send a free email or call the constituent hotline at 1-800-889-0229 today! 

On Thursday, the Senate Education and Health Committee is expected to take up HB 1308, patroned by Del. Matt Lohr (R-Harrisonburg) that will allow school boards to discriminate against Gay/Straight Alliances in Virginia schools.  This had originally been scheduled for a vote last week, but was postponed to this Thursday’s committee meeting.

Write the members of this committee today and urge them to defeat this bill!  A nearly identical bill was defeated by this committee last year by a vote of 9-6.

You can also attend the committee meeting, which begins at 8am in Senate Room B of the General Assembly Building.  Please rsvp toinfo@equalityvirginia.org so we know you are coming.

The General Assembly missed a critical opportunity this week to state that the Commonwealth does not discriminate when both houses voted to strip language from the budget inserted by former Governor Mark Warner protecting all state employees from workplace discrimination.  The Senate vote was a “voice vote” so no vote count is available, but the House of Delegates voted 58-38 to strip the language.  Thank the 38 Delegates who stood up against discrimination by sending a free email  today!

 In addition, updates on all EV monitored legislation is highlighted below for you.  You can write or call the Constituent Hotline at 1-800-889-0229.

Below are measures that Equality Virginia Opposes:

HJ 41/SJ 92 Constitutional amendment (second resolution); marriage. Del. Robert Marshall and Senator Stephen Newman.   The actual amendment states, “That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.  This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.”

Both the Senate an House of Delegates have passed their own versions of the amendment, and now they are going through the opposing house.  On Friday, by a vote of 29-11 the Senate ratified the House resolution, HJ 41.  The House is expected to take up the Senate version next week.  While both bills are identical, it’s important to continue to urge your Senator and Delegate to oppose the amendment at every opportunity.

What you can do today:
HB 101 /SB 526  Constitutional amendment (voter referendum); marriage. Del. John A. Cosgrove and Senator Stephen Newman.  This is the “implementing” bill that defines when the voter referendum would be on the ballot (November 2006), and what voters would actually see if and when they vote on it. 

This week, the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections voted to include the entire text of the amendment in the ballot question that will be seen by voters.  That version was endorsed by the House of Delegates this week.  This legislation will soon be on its way to the Governor’s desk. !

HB 1308 School boards; authority to block use of school facilities by certain groups. Del. Matthew Lohr.  This bill is intended to allow discrimination against Virginia’s Gay/Straight Alliances by allowing school boards to mistake the nature of these groups, assuming that somehow they “encourage or promote sexual activity by unmarried minor students.”

Update: This bill passed the House of Delegates passed it 70-29.  This measure will be heard in the Senate Education and Health Committee next Thursday, March 2.

Take Action : Contact Senate Education & Health Committee members today and urge them to oppose this bill.  A similar measure failed in this committee last year by a 9-6 vote. 

Equality Virginia Supports These Following Bills:

SB 700 Employment discrimination.   Senators Mamie Locke and Louise Lucas.    Prohibits workplace discrimination for all state, local and public school employees on the basis race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation or disability.

Update:  This bill was defeated in the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee by a vote of 8-6.  Write those Senators who cast their vote against discrimination and thank them for standing up for equality!

Marriage Amendment  & The Ballot Question
Today, the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee voted to amend the companion bill to the so-called “marriage amendment” to include the full text of the amendment in the ballot question that voters will likely see this fall.  Earlier versions of the ballot question language were very incomplete in educating voters about the full breadth of the implications of the amendment.

Write to your Senator  today and urge him or her to support “truth in advertising” by voting for this important change to HB 101 when it comes to the Senate floor as early as Thursday or Friday this week.

Protect Non-Discrimination Language in the Virginia Budget
In December, former-Governor Mark Warner included language in his budget to the General Assembly that prohibits discrimination against all Virginia state employees, including based on sexual orientation.

Unfortunately, Del. Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg) has introduced a budget amendment, 4-6.00#1, that will rescind this language.

Write to the House Appropriations Committee today and urge them to reject this amendment and protect all Virginia employees from discrimination.

Senators Lucas and Lock have introduced SB700 which would amend several laws that prohibit discrimination in public hiring. Though the summary is a bit vague:

Nondiscrimination in public employment. Employment discrimination prohibited.

The impact statement link shows the complete text. The gist of the bill is that it would prohibit discrimination in public hiring based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Equality Fairfax supports this legislation.

Delegate Scott has introduced HB1552. This bill would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation to the state’s fair housing law. The complete text of the bill reads:

Adds sexual orientation as an unlawful discriminatory housing practice.

This bill is expected to be in subcommittee on February 1st. Please let your delegates and the members of the subcommittee know you support this bill.

This bill introduced by Delegate Hull would allow Fairfax County to add sexual orientation to the county’s non-discrimination policy. The complete text of the bill is:

Adds “sexual orientation” as prohibited discrimination in a county with the urban county executive form of government (Fairfax County.)

Fairfax County has been asking for this for many years, but the General Assembly has consistently defeated the legislation.

This bill, introduced by Delegate Ligamfelter would require that abstinence be emphasized in any family life education discussing sexual intercourse and emphasize honor and respect for monogamous heterosexual marriage. The complete text of the bill is:

Requires that any family life education course including a discussion of sexual intercourse emphasize that abstinence is the accepted norm and the only guarantee against unwanted pregnancy. The bill also requires that family life courses include materials that emphasize honor and respect for monogamous heterosexual marriage; provide information on the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases; inform students on laws addressing child support obligations and the unlawfulness of sexual relations between unmarried persons; and advise students on ways to avoid unwanted sexual advances and resist negative peer pressure. Further, the bill provides that students may opt out of family life courses if a parent or guardian submits a written objection.

Because HB163 would repeal a bill that requires abstinence education (among other things), this legislation was introduced to plug the hole that would create. However, it goes further by requiring schools to praise “monogamous heterosexual marriages”.