HJR 9 – Constitutional Amendment 1pm

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HJR 9 – Constitutional Amendment to Take Benefits Away from Same-Sex Partners of Public Employees – Hearing in House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, April 17 at 1 p.m.

 

The ongoing battle to overturn the October 2005 court decision mandating equal employment benefits for public employees with same sex partners will continue tomorrow, Tuesday, April 17, 2007, at 1 p.m. before the Alaska House Judiciary Committee.  HJR 9 – the proposed constitutional amendment that would change the equal protection rights offered to all Alaskans  - will be heard at that time and testimony from the public will be heard.  Please consider going to your nearest Legislative Information Office to offer your opposition to HJR 9.  LIOs are located in many of the larger communities throughout the state.  If you are not near an LIO, please call the office of Judiciary chair Jay Ramras at 907-465-3004 to find out how you can call in to offer testimony.  If you are in Juneau, you may attend in person in Room 120 of the Capitol.

 

It is important that legislators be reminded that those who oppose such changes to the Constitution are in the mainstream.  Those who are outside the mainstream of American public policy are trying to take health insurance and other employment benefits away from same sex couples – while the rest of America, in both the private and public employment sectors, are moving in the other direction in droves.  Major corporations now routinely offer partner coverage to their employees.  Why?  Because it’s good for business and for their employees – both gay and straight.  Small companies now have the opportunity to offer partner coverage – and they’re taking advantage of it.  Why?  Because it’s good for business and for their employees – and because it’s the right thing to do.

 

HJR 9 has many deficiencies.  First and foremost, it’s ambiguous – it could reasonably be interpreted very broadly OR very narrowly.  Either way – if adopted, it will be challenged and we’ll go through this whole process again – in the courts and in the legislature.

 

Join us in speaking out against this measure.  We urge you to make a statement before the Judiciary Committee – but we also urge you to remember that our most important audience members are those legislators who are truly undecided on this important public policy issue.  They will not be swayed by inflamed rhetoric or threats or overly emotional appeals.  They might be swayed by our continued adherence to our pattern of demonstrating that WE are the mainstream – that the other side is the fringe element wanting to hold back the tide of progress in this area.  We don’t need to speak to our supporters – they are with us and will stay with us no matter what.  We don’t need to yell at our opposition – we won’t change their minds and our passion will tend to turn off those who have not yet taken sides.  Let’s stick with our plan – the amendment is bad public policy at odds with the trends in business and government across the country.  Health care is in crisis and we should be doing everything we can to ADD people to the rolls, not bar them.

 

Again – House Judiciary – tomorrow, Tuesday, April 17 at 1 p.m.  The hearing is likely to last several hours, so be prepared.  The bill will probably move out of committee tomorrow – so don’t be discouraged when that happens.  It then goes to Finance Committee – but we still have a very good shot at defeating this measure on the House floor when it gets there.

 

Below are the names of the Judiciary Committee members.  Please contact them directly to express your opposition to HJR 9 if any of you live in their districts.  Also below are links for other methods of contacting legislators.  You should be able to place your cursor on the link (maybe while pressing the ‘control’ button) and you should be able to link to an email or website as appropriate.  If it doesn’t work – go to the Alaska Legislature at www.legis.state.ak.us and you should be able to find your legislator.

 

Contact Information is below.

The members of the House Judiciary Committee and the Link to send Public Opinion Messages (POM’s)

 

CHAIR:
 Representative Ramras
 
VICE-CHAIR:
 Representative Dahlstrom
 
MEMBER:
 Representative Coghill
 
 
MEMBER:
 Representative Lynn
 
 
MEMBER:
 Representative Samuels
 
 
MEMBER:
 Representative Gruenberg
 
 
MEMBER:
 Representative Holmes
 
 
       

How to contact Alaska Legislature:
 
To contact Alaska legislators  -- see their website at http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/home.htm   You can email, fax, or call specific legislators, or send to them all.
 
50-word POMs:  Another great way to send messages fast to whole groups of legislators is via the 50-word "POMs" system -- the 50 word Public Opinion Message system. You can call in a short message or email it.  POMs are on line at http://www.legis.state.ak.us/poms/

 

Thanks for your ongoing support of this important issue.

 

Michael W. Macleod-Ball

Executive Director

ACLU of Alaska

PO Box 201844

Anchorage, AK  99520