[NASW Alaska Chapter Listserve] HJR 9 ­ Constitutional Amendment to Take Benefits Away from Umarried Partners of Public Employees ­ Hearing in House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, April 17 at 1 p.m.

[Summer LeFebvre]

HJR 9 ­ Constitutional Amendment to Take Benefits Away from Umarried
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 today 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 HJR9.
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.

The hearing is likely to last several hours, so be prepared.  The bill will
probably move out of committee today, so don¹t be discouraged if 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.

HJR 9 has many deficiencies. First and foremost, it¹s ambiguous ­ it could
reasonably be interpreted very broadly OR very narrowly.  Either way ­ if
adopted, it will be challenged and we¹ll go through this whole process again
­ in the courts and in the legislature.

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 unmarried 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
because it¹s good for business and for their employees ­ both gay and
straight.  Small companies now have the opportunity to offer partner
coverage ­ and they¹re taking advantage of it because it¹s good for business
and for their employees ­ and because it¹s the right thing to do. 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.

We urge you to make a statement before the Judiciary Committee ­ and
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.

House Judiciary Committee CHAIR:                 Representative Ramras
<http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_mbr_info.asp?member=RAR&amp;house=H&
amp;session=25> VICE-CHAIR:         Representative Dahlstrom
<http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_mbr_info.asp?member=DAL&amp;house=H&
amp;session=25> MEMBER:             Representative Coghill
<http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_mbr_info.asp?member=COG&amp;house=H&
amp;session=25> MEMBER:             Representative Lynn
<http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_mbr_info.asp?member=LYN&amp;house=H&
amp;session=25> MEMBER:             Representative Samuels
<http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_mbr_info.asp?member=SAL&amp;house=H&
amp;session=25> MEMBER:             Representative Gruenberg
<http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_mbr_info.asp?member=GRU&amp;house=H&
amp;session=25> MEMBER:             Representative Holmes
<http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_mbr_info.asp?member=HOL&amp;house=H&
amp;session=25> How to contact Alaska Legislature:
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 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/




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