Oregon Daily
FRIDAY, MAY 22. 1992
EUGENE, OREGON
VOLUME 93 ISSUE 161
Bills leaves post
after busy year
□ Being ASUO president can be
‘thankless,’ but the departing Jennifer
Bills was happy to do it
By Daralyn Trappe
Emerald Associate Editor
Whon Jennifer Bills was elected ASUO president
April 25, 1991, her first comment was, "It's over! But
God, it's just begun."
That turned out to Ire a bit of an understatement.
Sunday marks Bills’ Inst day in office. During the
year, she's deal', with everything from the attempted
recall and subsequent resignation of her vice presi
dent, JoSonja Watson (whose legal troubles came to
light late lust year) to an ongoing push fur a special leg
islative session in Salem.
She's also had budgot disagreements with the Inci
dental Foe Committee and dealt with student outrage
and violence over the Rodney King verdict, umong
other things.
But it's the kind of job where much time is s|H:nl
"putting out small fires" and dealing with everyday
details such as contract renegotiations with University
service providers and work on every committee in the
book.
“It's like being u parent,” Bills said, "it’s thankless
and you don't get paid very woll."
Dumbest thing anyone asked her while in office:
"This guy walked into the ASUO once, and said to me.
'Are you really a lesbian?' "
Bills has had her share of detractors, but her admin
istration has seen some successes as well.
She is must proud of two things — a new student in
surance program that recognizes domestic partnerships
and a negotiation, by Vice President Priscilla Warren,
Turn to BILLS. Page 4
Making tracks
Oregon sprint coach George Walloon (left) warms up with Glenn Cole Thursday., afternoon
The Pacific-tO Conference Track and Field Championships are this weekend at Hayward
Field
What happens after passage of anti-gay rights initiative?
j 20-08 prompts fear, confu
sion and faces legal chal
lenge
By Daralyn Trappe
Emerald Associaie Editor
Shall charter be amended to prohibit
City recognition of homosexuality, other
behaviors us sexual orientation, and from
promoting these behaviorsT — Ballot
Measure 20-08.
When a majority of Springfield voters
decided Tuesday they wanted this initia
tive to be part of their city charter, it
opened a floodgate of questions for ev
eryone concerned about what it will
mean and what happens next.
No one roally knows what kind of im
pact the vaguely worded ordinance will
have on the city.
Some are expressing fear about losing
jobs, housing options and police protec
tion. among other things. Meanwhile.
Kalf Walters, a Springfield City Council
momber who supported the initiative,
plans to move for an ordinance to protect
jobs for gays and lesbians at the next
meeting.
And the local chapter of the American
Civil Liberties Union is organizing a
team of lawyers to challenge the initia
five's constitutionality on the gruunds
that it violates freedoms of expression
and assembly.
City enforcement
Springfield's police chief says he is
waiting for information about how his
department will enforce the law. expect
ed to take effect June 15.
Chief Robert Deu Pree said it is too
early to tell what the ordinance really
means, but that's typical of all now laws.
"The media generally don't report on a
new law with this intensity." he said,
"but with all new laws, there’s a period
of time where a number of legally trained
people try to figure out what it means
“We get direction on what those laws
mean with procedures for enforcing it."
he said. "Kven if a law says one thing,
the means to gel there is another thing.
Before it goes into effect, city attorneys
and district attorneys will go over it and
work with us on it."
This is the time when people "beat
each other up over what it means." Deu
Pren said
Dave I-'idanque, associate director of
the Oregon chapter of the A('Ll). ques
tionud whether enforcement of the Ore
gon hate crime statutes against gavs and
lesbians will he affected,
Dupree said it his understanding from
the district attorney that the police de
partment will continue enforcing slate
laws as it has in the past, unless informa
tion is ruceivud otherwise.
"We don’t plan on changing whul we
do.” he said. "My understanding is that
the chartur amendment intent is to pre
vent the government from doing things
that promote homosexual behavior. I
don’t onvision any chango in how the
police would approach things."
Protecting jobs
Measure 20-08 allows the city to adopt
a provision "prohibiting employment de
cisions based on factors not directly re
lated to employment."
Councilman Walters' said his intent to
Instate such a provision is an effort to re
assure people that jobs, In any field, are
not at risk.
"The full impact of this won’t be
known until it's put in practice," Walters
said. "The only time I can see where sex
preference would lie un Issue is if the
person wore using their position to ad
vance gay rights
"But that would he Irun for anyone
who's misusing their work time," ho
said.
Scott Lively, communications director
for the Oregon Citizens Alliance, which
sponsored the initiative, said he doesn't
expect much will chungo in Springfield.
"It's not true that gays and lesbians
will lie discriminated against for no ma
son,’1 Lively said. “It will not allow the
persecution of people. I don't think
you'll see any changes in housing or em
ployment In Springfield."
The employment clause was included
specifically "to show that we do not pro
mote discrimination of homosexuals," he
said. "If they're being obnoxious about
it. then they should be fired, but if they
keep it to themselves, then it's OK."
Peggy Norman, campaign director for
the Portland-based Campaign for a Hate
Free Oregon, said she isn't so sure em
ployment won’t bo affected The group is
one of several that opposed the OCA and
20-08.
Turn to INITIATIVE. Page 3
ALL THAT JAV
Oregon's Kim Hyatt is "feet and inches
above the rest" of the competition in
today's javelin event at Hayward Field for
the P AC-10 track and field finals.
See SPORTS, Page 9
NEW INSURANCE
Next year's ASUO student insurance
program will feature a new carrier and new
policies, including the possibility for do
mestic partners to be dependents.
Sm INSURANCE, Page 12
IMAGES
, 'Images of Women,' a
display of sculptures
and photos, is on dis
j play
- Sm ENT, P«g« 7