STATE ASSEMBLY PASSES BILL TO PREVENT LGBT DISCRIMINATION IN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 25, 2005

Contact: Eddie Gutiérrez, Director of Communications
Phone: (323) 217-8875 Email: eddie [at] eqca.org

ON THE VERGE OF HISTORIC MARRIAGE HEARING, STATE ASSEMBLY PASSES BILL TO PREVENT LGBT DISCRIMINATION IN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS

Bipartisan Support for LGBT Legislation Signals Shift in Political Opposition

Sacramento, CA – A Code of Fair Campaign Practices Bill (AB 866) by Speaker pro Tem Leland Yee (D-San Francisco / Daly City) passed the California State Assembly today on a bipartisan 47-27 vote. AB 866, sponsored by Equality California, prohibits the use of any negative appeal based on prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people by candidates or campaign committees who sign the voluntary pledge provided for in the Code of Fair Campaign Practices.

"With today's vote, we move one step closer to ending anti-gay rhetoric in political campaigns," said Speaker pro Tem Yee. "Candidates should not discriminate and victimize the LGBT community for political purposes, and fostering campaigns that create fear and intimidation only incite a potentially dangerous situation for the LGBT community."

Bipartisan support for EQCA-sponsored legislation continues to grow as the discussion of marriage equality gains momentum. Tomorrow, Assembly Bill 19, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, will be heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee following last year's historic vote when the committee became the first in the country to pass a marriage equality bill without a court order.

"The public should have responsible candidates and elected officials discussing the key issues and not hateful rhetoric," said Executive Director Geoffrey Kors of Equality California. “Californians need a fair playing field, and using anti-gay appeals to divide voters is unfair and unnecessary. As we look ahead and find support from across party lines, equality and fair treatment will not be in short supply.”

In 1996, then Assemblymember Shelia Kuehl, introduced nearly identical legislation (AB 2283), which failed in its first hearing in a 3-4 vote. The Registrar of Voters is required to provide the candidate a blank form on which to subscribe to the Code of Fair Campaign Practices, and a copy of the Elections Code provisions at the time a declaration of candidacy, nomination papers, or any other paper evidencing an intention to be a candidate for public office are issued. Subscription to the Code of Fair Campaign Practices is voluntary. Completed forms are to be filed with the Registrar of Voters, and are retained for public inspection until 30 days after the election.

AB 866 will now head to the State Senate for further consideration.

ASSEMBLY FLOOR VOTE:

47 AYES: Arambula, Baca, Bass, Berg, Bermudez, Calderon, Canciamilla, Chan, Chavez, Chu, Coto, De La Torre, Dymally, Evans, Frommer, Goldberg, Hancock, Jerome Horton, Jones, Karnette, Klehs, Koretz, Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber, Liu, Matthews, Montanez, Mullin, Nation, Nava, Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, Parra, Pavley, Richman, Ridley-Thomas, Ruskin, Saldana, Salinas, Torrico, Umberg, Vargas, Wolk, and Yee

27 NOES: Aghazarian, Benoit, Blakeslee, Bogh, Cogdill, Daucher, DeVore, Emmerson, Harman, Haynes, Houston, Huff, Keene, La Malfa, Leslie, Maze, McCarthy, Mountjoy, Nakanishi, Niello, Plescia, Sharon Runner, Spitzer, Strickland, Tran, Villines, Walters, and Wyland

2 ABSTAINING OR NOT VOTING: Garcia and Shirley Horton

4 OFFICIALLY ABSENT: Cohn, Gordon, La Suer, and Nunez

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