CA Gay Ed Bill Passes Out
of Committee by 3 to 2 Vote
Moments ago I finished up my phone chat with Roseanne Moreno, the assistant to the California Senate Judiciary Committee and can now report that SB 48, the gay education bill, passed out of committee by a vote of 3 to 2 along party lines.
Democrats Noreen Evans, Ellen Corbett and Mark Leno cast the ayes, while GOP Senators Tom Harmon and Sam Blakeslee voted no.
The legislation now works its way up to the Senate floor, and the date of that debate will be announced later.
Today's hearing was taped and will available on the Cal Channel by tomorrow afternoon, according to Roseanne. If you want to watch the meeting, click here on Wednesday, then search for the April 5 judiciary committee hearing. The debate on SB 48 was the first item on the agenda today, so it should be at the start of video.
As I write this, it's 5:30 pm and no info on the vote or hearing is posted at the Equality California web site. Same thing at the site for the Traditional Values Coalition.
Let's see how each side spins the vote earlier this afternoon, and how they mobilize for the next steps in moving SB 48 forward.
Reports, proud muckraking, photos, videos and musings from the veteran LGBT and AIDS human rights advocate Michael Petrelis. Based in San Francisco since 1995. Contact: MPetrelis_at_AOL_dot_com. Vote Petrelis for BART Board District 9 in November!
FYI, Michael: The Judiciary Comm hearing announced and ran a "special" timeline (Special Order of Business) on SB48 - Leno starting @ 3pm, which ran nearly 2 hours, and included a threat by Chair Evans to have a cranky, wingnut testifier who wouldn't shut up removed by the Seargeant-At-Arms. Too much, IMO, of the testimony was about bullying, which the bill HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH, and was poorly focussed by the sponsors (EQCA & GSAN) and contains much vague wording. This was agendized for scheduling reasons in the midst of the regular hearing started @ 1:30, which included SB-117 - Kehoe (also very much of interest to LGBT folks) and other bills after the 48 bill finished approx. 4:30p.
ReplyDeleteOf note, IMO, is this buried clause @ the end of the FAIR Ed bill:
"SEC. 6. It is the intent of the Legislature that alternative and
charter schools take notice of the provisions of this act in light of
Section 235 of the Education Code, which prohibits discrimination on
the basis of disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity,
religion, sexual orientation, or other specified characteristics in
any aspect of the operation of alternative and charter schools."
hi anonymous,
ReplyDeletethanks for the info. it's shameful the way leno and EQCA did nothing much to inform and engage the community on this bill. heck, they really need to learn how to more adequately engage beyond their small circle of Gay Inc friends and big donors.
michael