NOW Legislative Update: Part II of II: Violence Against Women Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit From the National Organization for Women Action Center: NOW LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Part II of II: Violence Against Women June 7, 1999 --Hate Crimes Bill Stymied in Judiciary Committee --Presidents Crime Bill Contains VAWA, Lacks Hate Crimes Provision --BWESSA Finally Introduced in Senate --Senate Passes "Juvenile Justice" Bill; House Vote Up Soon ================================================ VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ================================================ HATE CRIMES BILL STYMIED IN JUDICIARY COMMITTEE A hearing on hate crimes was held on May 11th by the Senate Judiciary Committee, although Committee chair Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) refused to seriously consider the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 1999 (S. 622). The Senators introductory remarks indicated his opposition to what he sees as an expansion of federal authority into traditional state jurisdiction under S. 622. Instead, Hatch urged that a fund be established in the Justice Department to assist state and local authorities in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes. He also said that a comprehensive analysis of the data collected under the 1990 Hate Crimes Statistics Act should be undertaken to determine whether there is a problem with certain states prosection of hate crimes. The Judiciary chair recommended that a model hate crime statute for states be developed as well as an overhaul of the federal hate crimes statutes (passed originally in 1969) to restrict these even further to cover only hate crimes committed when a state line has been crossed. Testifying in support of the bill was Judy Shepard, mother of the murdered gay Wyoming college student, Matthew Shepard. Ken Brown, Chief Deputy Prosecutor in Laramie, WY, testified how expensive it has been for his jurisdiction to prosecute this case, but said that he did not believe that an expansion of federal authority was needed for better prosecution. He did say that more federal funding would be helpful. Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder testified in support of the legislation, indicating that it would strengthen federal-state law enforcement capabilities without encroaching upon state responsibilities. He also denied the claim, made by some federal officials in the past, that the federal law enforcement agencies would be overwhelmed if the bill were passed to include new hate crime categories prohibiting bias crimes based sex, sexual orientation and disability. Finally, Robert Knight of the Family Research Council (FRC) testified and, according to NOW activists who were present, his remarks contained many homophobic and sexist slurs. The FRC, as many are aware, has done much to advance the right-wing agenda of gay-baiting and this forum allowed Knight to make numerous absurd and irresponsible statements. The FRC spokesperson said that the bill would make freedom of speech a federal crime; that the Littleton, CO massacre suggests that athletes should be added to the list of bias crime categories; and, that victims of hate from homosexuals should be given consideration. Knight closed by saying that he was tired of the "homosexual agenda being shoved in Americans faces." Knight advanced the standard opposition argument that the legislation gives undue protection to special groups, who are otherwise not in need of protection. His presence on the witness list was an insult to the bills sponsors and to the hundreds of religious, civil rights, law enforcement and other groups who support the legislation. ACTION NEEDED: Call Sen. Orrin Hatch and urge that he schedule a mark-up session for S. 622 and report it out of committee. The bill currently has 36 co-sponsors; we need another 15 Senators for it to pass. Please make certain that your Senator has signed on. If we secure a majority of the Senators to support S. 622, this may be an incentive for Sen. Hatch to take action. ================================================ PRESIDENTS CRIME BILL CONTAINS VAWA, LACKS HATE CRIMES PROVISION It has been reported that President Clintons crime package contains re-authorization for the Violence Against Women Act (H.R. 357), but does not contain the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (S. 622). The omission is especially curious because the President has on numerous occasions expressed his support for the hate crimes bill. ACTION NEEDED: Please call the White House as soon as possible and ask the President to include the Hate Crimes Prevention Act in his crime package. The White House comment line number is (202) 456-1111. ================================================ BWESSA FINALLY INTRODUCED IN SENATE The much anticipated Battered Womens Economic Security and Safety Act (S. 1069) has been introduced in the Senate by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Paul Wellstone (D-MN), although it is missing the title that would re-authorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Another bill, S. 51, sponsored by Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) has the re-authorization component, but does not reflect changes requested by domestic violence service provided or any new programs. Nonetheless, the time has come for a massive up-welling of support for both re-authorization of current VAWA programs as we face possible expiration of funds this year. A petition is being readied for circulation to gather tens of thousands of signatures to present to Congress. The House bill which contains all of the provisions requested by advocates and service providers is H.R. 357; a fallback re-authorization measure (which does not contain the new programs) is H.R. 1248. ACTION NEEDED: Time is running out for legislative days in this session of Congress. There is likely to be a deadlock over many budgetary issues and there is a chance the VAWA funding re-authorization may fall between the cracks. As a result, many effective programs, like the National Domestic Violence Hotline, may have to be curtailed. Every member of Congress should be aware of this danger; remind your Representative and Senators that the vast majority of women, when polled, list violence against women as one of their top three concerns. ================================================ SENATE PASSES "JUVENILE JUSTICE" BILL; HOUSE VOTE UP SOON Timing a vote in the wake of Littleton, CO tragedy, the Senate passed the regressive Violent and Repeat Juvenile Offender Accountability and Rehabilitation Act of 1999 (S. 254) on May 20th. The bill would ease federal restrictions which prevent incarceration of children and adult offenders in the same facilities and enact many other undesirable provisions. The House was scheduled to take up the legislation as soon as members re-convene following the Memorial Day recess. The bill would facilitate treatment of juvenile offenders as young as 14 (lowered from age 16) to be tried and convicted as "adults" under a wide array of offenses. It would also institutionalize a massive new federal juvenile crime bureaucracy with greatly expanded federal jurisdiction. S. 254 grants federal prosecutors the new power to charge as an adult in federal court those as young as 14 -- even in nonviolent, non-repeat offenses cases. Worse, the legislation says that this prosecutorial power is "not reviewable in any court;" so once a lower court has convicted a young person, there are no other legal options. The only positive note is that several new gun control measures were added. An amendment offered by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) to preserve the Disproportionate Minority Confinement program, which aims to reduce the disproportionately higher numbers of imprisoned non-Caucasian child offenders, was also defeated. Fortunately, the House version of the bill contains protections for that program. ACTION NEEDED: Call your House member and urge that the Disproportionate Minority Confinement remain in the bill and that provisions which allow children to be housed with adult offenders be stricken from the bill along with those which greatly expand the federal juvenile crime bureaucracy. More efforts must be made to rehabilitate and educate at-risk youth. ================================================ This Legislative Update was compiled by the Government Relations/Public Policy Team at the NOW Office. Questions? Call Jan Erickson, Government Relations Director at (202) 331-0066, ext 768. To receive free copies of any bill, call your U.S. Senator or Representative at (202) 224-3121 or connect to http://thomas.loc.gov This update is mailed monthly to the NOW leadership. Any member can receive a copy of this update by mail for $25 per year, or you can read it at http://www.now.org/issues/legislat/ Join our Action Alert e-mail network by sending the message subscribe now-action-list to majordomo@now.org ================================================== now@now.org To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@now.org with the text: unsubscribe now-action-list or visit http://www.now.org/actions/unsubscribe.html Please *do* unsubscribe before cancelling an e-mail account. Visit the NOW Web site at http://www.now.org/ where you can support these efforts by joining NOW or purchasing from our catalog. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytfem-06.10.99-01:12:06-6676