STRATEGIES
Clark County Democrats
take a stand
MembersofWashington’sClark County Demo
cratic Central Committee voted recently to support
Hands Off Washington and civil rights legislation
introduced by openly gay State Rep. Cal Ander
son. Hands Off Washington is working to counter
efforts of OCA-style groups in Washington State.
The bill introduced by Anderson, and co-spon-
sored by Val Ogden (D-Vancouver) would add
sexual orientation to existing statutes prohibiting
discrimination.
“Our party,” said Clark County Chairman
Harold Abbe, “stands for equality, and thus we
include any and all who will join with us. All are
welcome. The quality of life is better without hate.
Put the absence of hate on your list of things we
need.”
The Hands Off Washington campaign is cur
rently running a striking ad in The Oregonian. The
words “kill fags” are scrawled across the top of the
ad, followed by an explanation of the campaign.
The Jackson County Human Rights Coalition
PAC boasts a mailing list of 4,000 people. It
formed three years ago, in response to a racist
incident. The group can be reached through its
voice mail number: 770-1761.
The OCA is fighting seriously for Southern
Oregon. It has deployed Scott Lively to reside in a
small town near the border between Jackson and
Josephine counties.
Court rules to allow OCA
vote in Klamath Falls
W ashi ngton County Circuit Court J udge Gayle
A. Nachtigal mled in April that the Oregon Citi
zens Alliance’s current initiative attempt in Kla
math Falls meets state requirements. Nachtigal did
correct the proposed ballot title, and said in her
ruling that the initiative may indeed violate the
Oregon Constitution, but her court couldn’t rule on
thaL
Klamath resident Janet Boytano filed a lawsuit
to keep the initiative off the ballot. The suit charged
that the ballot title was insufficient, and the subject
inappropriate for an initiative. Her lawyer, Phil
Studenberg, says an appeal is planned. Mean
while, the initiative could still appear on the ballot,
if the OCA succeeds in gathering enough signa
tures. If Boytano wins, he says, the initiative would
not become law even if it passed. Studenberg is
also asking Nachtigal to clarify parts of her ruling.
“We didn't fee 1 she addressed the issues we
raised,” he explained.
Nachtigal did express concern as to whether the
The Senate passed it on a vote of 18-12. The bill the OCA turned in twice the number of signatures
initiative was constitutional. According to
to get on the ballot
Studenberg, an initiative must win an election now moves on to the House. There is speculation needed
Organizers had previously turned in signatures
before a constitutional challenge can be filed in about whether or not House Speaker Larry in Klamath
county, Canby, Cornelius and Junction
Campbell will let the bill out of committee for a
court
“The city’s administration or application of this floor vote. Campbell killed a similar bill last City.
petition, should it pass, may prove to be unconsti legistative session by not allowing it out of com
tutional, as may the amendment itself. The consti mittee.
Labor Commissioner Mary Wendy Roberts Josephine County to vote
tutionality of the amendment is not a matter ripe for
judicial review at this time,” Nachtigal said in her sponsored the bill, which would offer civil rights on OCA initiative in June
protection in areas such as housing, employment
ruling.
The Oregon Citizens Alliance’s anti-gay initia
and civil rights.
tive will be on the June 29 ballot in Josephine
County,
but not on the city ballot in Grants Pass.
Cities fare better
OCA turns in signatures
According to Grants Pass City Attorney Ulys
-Stapleton,
neither the city nor the county has taken
than Linn County
The Oregon Citizens Alliance has turned in
While voters in Albany and Lebanon won’t be signatures in Crook, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine a position on the issue. No legal challenges have
faced with a city vote on the Oregon Citizens and Linn counties, as well as in Hermiston, Leba been filed either, he said.
The Josephine County Human Rights Alliance
Alliance’s anti-gay ballot measure, they will vote non, Medford, Prineville and Pendleton, for ‘sons
has launched an intensive get-out-the-vote cam
on a county version of the measure. In Lebanon, of 9’ local initiatives.
paign,
according to activist Sky Blue. That group
the ballot has been derailed by a lawsuit filed by
is working with both the Rural Organizing Project
attorney Kathryn McNannay. The lawsuit asks the
and Support Our Communities PAC. SOC PAC
Linn County Circuit Court to order Lebanon’s
organizer Renee Delappe has moved *to Grants
elections officer not to put the initiative on the
Pass to work with local activists in Josephine,
ballot because it is “an unconstitutional attempt to
Jackson,
Klamath and Douglas Counties.
pre-empt existing state law,” and “an inappropriate
Grants Pass OCA supporters have been fo
use of the initiative process.” The city council has
cusing
their energies on picketing and telephoning
asked Lebanon City Attorney Tom McHill to de
the local paper, The Daily Courier, for running the
fend the initiative. The soonest the OCA initiative
comic strip “For Better or Worse.” The strip has
could appear on that ballot would be Sept 21.
dealt
with gay youth recently.
In Albany, the city was still counting signatures
for the September ballot at press time. According
to Finance Director Gary Holliday, the city council
Clerical cunfusiun
is opposed to the initiative because the subject is
not appropriate for a city charter.
delays-OCA initiative
The initiative will appear on the Linn County
ballot June 29. Linn County Communities for
in Jacksnn County
Unity is working with Support Our Communities
When Oregon Citizens Alliance members in
PAC. Julie Davis of Rep. Gail Shibley’s office has
Jackson County turned in petitions for the anti-gay
also met with the group. Linn County Communi
ties for Unity has elected a steering committee and
initiative, they had enough signatures, and met the
is working to become a PAC, according to Heather
deadline for a June election. There was just one
Weldon, events coordinator.
pesky detail that hadn’t been taken into account
Weldon says the group is planning a get-out-
The county commission, not the elections division
the-vote campaign, focusing on door-to-door can
or the OCA, sets dates for elections. The commis
vassing and phone banking. An important strategy
sion didn’t call an election for June, and might not.
for Linn County will be identifying which voters
According to County Clerk Kathy Beckett the
cast ‘no’ votes on Ballot Measure 9, and encourag
county commission might wait until the May 1994
ing them to get to the polls and do it again.
elections to put the OCA initiative on the ballot.
“We’re feeling really positive,” Weldon com
In Prineville, OCA organizers turned in only The City of Medford faces similar bureaucratic
mented.
189 signatures, some of which were not valid. The snafus. The OCA didn’t turn in enough signatures
Linn County Communities for Unity has a core number needed was 464. According to city offi for the city’s June ballot. But because of confusion
group of about a dozen.
cials, the OCA must start all over again if it wants between the city and the OCA, those signatures
to try for the September ballot, and can’t use any will count towards the total needed to put the
signatures already turned in. The OCA may be initiative on the September ballot. Normally, when
SB 34 over first hurdle
short of signatures in Pendleton as well; in Crook a petitioner turns in insufficient signatures, the
The Senate Judicial Committee and the State county, the OCA turned in just 66 more signatures next attempt must start from scratch. The soonest
Senate have approved SB 34, which would extend than needed.
that Jackson County and Medford could face an
civil rights protection on the basis of sexual orien
The news from southern Oregon was not so OCA initiative is on a mail-in ballot September 21.
tation.
good. In Douglas, Jackson and Josephine counties.
Donna Taylor, president of the Jackson County
Human Rights Coalition, isn’t at all disturbed by
the delays. They give her group more time to
organize its campaign. The group has been work
OCA to announce new hate wave
ing with Support Our Communities PAC to de
velop
strategy. The plans, according to Taylor, are
So, if you’re looking for something to do on They are scared. They are also unable to live up to
to focus on a neighbor-to-neighbor approach, with
Thursday, May 6, at 10 am, how about showing the responsibilities outlined in the United States
volunteers going door-to-door, and hosting block
up for the Oregon Citizens Alliance’s press con Constitution and the Oregon constitution. It’s like
parties.
Another goal is have all brochures avail
ference. It will be held at its “state office,” which a legislative way to validate their inadequacies as
able in Spanish and English. Radio and television
is located at 8651 SW Salish Lane, WilsonviDe. U.S. citizens. Each citizen of the United States is
spots featuring local community leaders are also
The OCA will be announcing its new “Stop charged with upholding the Constitution and the
planned.
Taylor is optimistic about the campaign.
Special Rights” statewide initiative. The title Bill of Rights. It is a responsibility that comes
“I really think we have a lot of yes-on-9 voters
may lead one to think that the OCA is going to with citizenship.
who
are persuadable,” she said, noting that the
produce a significant initiative concerning abol
The OCA is not content with the myriad of
OCA’s cries of ‘special rights’ had misled many
ishing special privileges for the dominant class, losses that it has accumulated, both at the polls
people. But there is no shortage of volunteers to
or legislation which addresses institutionalized and in the courts. They seem to be driven by their
clarify the issues. “We have people complaining
iniquities in our state. Wrong! It’s the same old fears and their failures. Maybe they will get
pathetic whining they do: “Queers want civil adequate therapy and leave our civil rights alone.
we don’t give them enough to do,”Taylor laughed.
rights and it scares us." Well, good grief! We’re . Don’t forget, that’sThursday, May 6, at 10am
“That tells you a lot about our campaign.”
expected to keep suffering because they are scared in Wilsonville. The OCA is also planmng to file
The coalition could have sued the city to pre
of us? The entire state of Oregon is supposed to its initiative in Salem at about noon that day, so if
vent the OCA from using signatures turned in for
foot the bill because they are scared? Is that you miss them in Wilsonville, you can catch their
a June ballot toward the requirement for a Septem
healthy? Wouldn’t that make everyone co-de act in Salem.
ber ballot. The coalition decided to focus instead
pendent to the members of the OCA?
on
the initiative’s constitutionality.
These people are so afraid and lacking in
There are a lot of things that I'm afraid of, and moral fiber, that once they see this announcement
“We’re confident we could win if we did [file
I would love to have a political PAC that would in Just Out they’ll probably reschedule the press
suit]," Taylor explained. “But we don’t want to
devote hours to appeasing my fears. If this sounds conference, so be sure to call the OCA first at 682 -
follow the example of our opponents in wasting
outrageous to you, it is, and this is what Lon and 0653.
taxpayers’ money. We really want to save the
taxpayers’ money.”
his band of unhappy people are attempting to do.
Ariel Waterwoman
compiled by Irene K. Hislop