EQCA Has 7 LGBT-related Bills On Governor's Desk

Equality California has sponsored several bills which have made it through both houses of the California legislature this year and will be on Governor Schwarzenegger's desk, which he has to sign or veto by September 30th.

They are:

• The Mental Health Services for At-Risk Youth bill (Leno) will increase LGBT youths’ access to counseling.
• The Repeal of Discriminatory Code bill (Lowenthal) will end California’s search for a “gay cure.”
• The Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act (Leno) will codify freedom of religion in relation to civil marriage.
• The LGBT Prisoner Safety Act (Ammiano) will reduce violence against LGBT people in the state prison system.
• The Separation Equity Act (Ma) will allow same-sex couples to dissolve their domestic partnerships and civil marriages at the same time.
• The Hate Crimes Protection Act (Saldaña) will prohibit contracts from requiring a person to waive their right to sue if they are the victim of a hate crime.
• The Unemployment Benefits Equality bill (De La Torre) will give individuals entering domestic partnerships the same rights as those getting married to obtain unemployment benefits

You can click on each bill name to take action to write the Governor and let him know what you think his position on each bill should be.

AD-43: Gatto Is #1!

In yesterday's special election to replace Paul Krekorian in the 43rd Assembkly District, MadProfessah-endorsed Mike Gatto not only placed first among the three Democrats, he received the most votes over all:

As of Date: 04/13/2010 Time: 23:04                            Votes  Percent
                                                                         
STATE ASSEMBLY               43RD TERM ENDS 11/10                          
                                                                         
 MIKE GATTO             DEM                                10,584    32.34
 SUNDER   RAMANI        REP                                10,403    31.79
 NAYIRI NAHABEDIAN      DEM                                 7,298    22.30
 CHAHE KEUROGHELIAN     DEM                                 4,444    13.58
                                                                         
TOTAL PRECINCTS        225            PRECINCTS REPORTING       225   100.00
REGISTRATION       201,352  

This means that on June 8, Mike will face the Republican candidate in the run-off to fill the rest of Krekorian's term through November 2010. He will also probably be the favorite to win the Democratic nomination (against Nahabedian) in the primary election which happens on the same day.

So, basically you will need to vote for Mike twice on that day.

AD-43: One Week Until Election Day

Hans Johnson, president of Progressive Victory; Mike Gatto, Democratic Party-endorsed candidate for California's 43rd Assembly seat; Luis Lopez, president of HONOR PAC; and Jimmie Woods Gray, UTLA and former chair of the L.A. County Democratic Party

It's one week until the special primary election in the 43rd Assembly district to replace Paul Krekorian. The two main candidates are Mike Gatto (who MadProfessah and the CA Democratic Party has endorsed) and Nayiri Nahabedian (who the Stonewall Democratic Club has endorsed).

The above picture was taken at an event (in the district) at the site of The Black Cat, a gay bar in Silverlake steeped in Los Angeles pre-Stonewall gay history which now houses Le Barcito.

Hans Johnson was one of the primary organizers for an LGBT fundraiser for Mike Gatto which raised over $4000 for the candidate. Luis Lopez, president of the leading Latino LGBT political organization in the state is Johnson's domestic partner and Jimmie Woods Gray is with the United Teachers of Los Angeles.

The picture demonstrates that teachers and "teh gays" are supporting Mike in the race to fill the 43rd Assembly District. If you live in Glendale, Burbank, Silverlake, Atwater Village, you should too!

Saturday Politics: AD-43 and AD-53

Saturdays are local politics days at MadProfessah.com

Today there are stories about two Los Angeles area State Assemby races that I have been following closely, AD-53 and AD-43.

In the 53rd Assembly District race to replace termed-out Ted Lieu (who is running for California Attorney General) openly gay Mayor of Redondo Manhattan Beach Mitch Ward has been endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. Ward is competing in a crowded field which includes straight Equality California board member (and registered lobbyist) Betsy Butler, her ex-boyfriend Jim Aldinger, city prosecutor Nick Karno, enviromentalist James Lau, former staffers Kate Anderson and Edgar Saenz, and for good measure, a 22-year-old Tea Party activist named Neal Mintz. Only Aldinger and Ward have held elected office before. The big news this week is that HONOR PAC, California's Latino LGBT political action committee has endorsed Anderson in the race. MadProfessah has endorsed Mitch Ward. Lau has been the most successful fundraiser to date and still has the most cash on hand, closely followed by Butler, Anderson and Karno who each have close to 200,000 to spend before the June 8 primary.

In the 43rd Assembly District race to replace now-Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian, internal polls show a narrow lead for attorney Mike Gatto where the most popular candidate is "Undecided." Last week, we reported that Andrew Westall had dropped out of the race but in the poll conducted of 400 residents in the district he was included and the results were Gatto 16%, Nayiri Nahabedian 12%, Westall 10%, Chahe Keuroghelian 6% among Democratic primary voters with 56% undecided. Interestingly, when told information about the candidates, Gatto had the largest increase, rising 26 points to 42%, Nahabedian 19% (+7), Westall 14% (+4), Keuroghelian 8% (+2) and Undecided falling 39 points to a mere 17%. Gatto also leads the money race, but the path to victory is complicated by the three elections that one needs to win in order to claim the seat in November.

Feel free to send me any suggestions for future Saturday local politics stories!

AD-43: And then there were two!

Mike Gatto, candidate for AD-43

More local political news. In the race to replace former Assemblyman Paul Krekorian in the 43rd Assembly district, another candidate has dropped out and so there are now only two main candidates remaining: MadProfessah-endorsed 35-year-old Stonewall Democrat Club member Mike Gatto and Glendale school boardmember Nayiri Nahabedian, 40.

Councilmember Herb Wesson staffer Andrew Westall suspended his campaign after the sudden death of his colleague, Wesson's chief of staff of a brain aneurysm over the weekend. Westall endorsed Nahabedian as he exited the race.

The special primary election is on April 13th, and then there's a primary election and the special general election on June 8th. The candidate who wants to be the Assemblymember from the 43rd Assembly district should win all three, but the primary election on June 8th is the most important.

According to the Secretary of State's financial records, Gatto had $200,000 plus on hand as of 12/31/2009 while Nahabedian appears to have had significantly less than $100,000. Typically (but not always, Meg!) the person who spends the most and/or raises the most wins these elections.

AD-43: Gatto Leads Crowded Field To Replace Krekorian

After Paul Krekorian was elected to the 2nd District of the Los Angeles City Council numerous people have stepped up to replace him in representing the 43rd Assemby District. One of them is my friend Mike Gatto. The others are Glendale school boardmember Nayiri Nahabedia and City Councilmember Wesson's staffer Andrew Westall.

What is so wild is that in order to represent the 43rd District next year at this time the successful candidate will have to win four elections:

1) On April 13th, 2010 there will be a special election to fill the seat.
2) If no one gets more than 50% of the vote then there will be a run-off election on June 8, 2010 for the right to serve out the rest of Krekorian's term.
3) However, also on June 8, 2010 will be a primary election for the right to be on the ballot to represent the 43rd district for a full 2-year term.
4) November 2, 2010 will be the statewide general election for 43rd District

It should be interesting to see which candidate gets through this punishing gauntlet of elections, with the concomitant fundraising and public appearance demands such non-stop campaigning requires.

MadProfessah endorses Mike Gatto.

Celebrity Friday: John A. Pérez Elected Speaker

John A. Pérez officially made history on Thursday when he was elected (the first openly gay man to be) Speaker of the California Assembly, by a vote of 48-26.

Congratulations, John! Pérez is expected to take office sometime in March, when Speaker Karen Bass transitions out of that role and ramping up for the 2010 elections begins.

John A. Pérez To Be First Openly Gay Speaker in US History

After a few nerve-wracking days, it's now official. Karen Ocamb has the full details of the unanimous vote in the Democratic caucus for John A. Pérez to become the next Speaker of the California Assembly, the first openly gay person to hold such a position in the United States.

Pérez released a statement where he said

“I want to thank the Members of the Assembly Democratic Caucus for the faith they have placed in me. It is a humbling privilege. I will work every day to justify that faith and to earn the enormous honor of having been drafted to serve as Speaker. The other candidates for Speaker, especially Assemblymember Kevin de León, have all shown great leadership for the Assembly and for this state and they have my great respect. As Speaker, I will look forward to working with a united Democratic caucus as we continue tackling our number one priority—helping the state recover from the recession and helping the California families who have been hit so hard by it.”

And the man he vanquished for the job, my local Assemblymember in the 45th District, Kevin de León, said:

“Today, I was proud to stand and nominate my friend and colleague John Pérez to serve as Speaker of the California Assembly. I did so deeply thankful for the strong support and encouragement I have received from members of our caucus, and also mindful of the example of one of the great inspirations of my life and many others–Rosa Parks. Mrs. Parks showed us you didn’t have to have a particular office or title to effect great change. I am proud to be a member of the California State Assembly and I will continue working hard, with my colleagues and with Speaker Pérez, to bring about real change for the people of my district and all the people of California.”

The responses are coming in in droves. Human Rights Campaign:

“We congratulate the selection of Assemblyman Pérez as the new Speaker of the House for the great state of California,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “John’s selection is a testament to his strong leadership after just joining the Assembly in the 2008 election. He is a role model for young people in his Los Angeles district and now for his state and country as the first openly-gay man to hold the Assembly’s top spot. We look forward to working with him as California continues to be an important state in our national fight for equality.”

Equality California:

"Equality California congratulates Assemblymember Pérez on gaining the support of the Democratic Caucus to become Speaker of the Assembly, a truly historic opportunity for our state," said Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors. He will be an outstanding steward for California as Speaker, ably guiding our state through the many challenges that lie ahead. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Assemblymember Pérez whose steadfast commitment to justice has resulted in significant gains not only for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community members but for all Californians," Kors said.

Congratulations to my friend, Speaker of the Assembly John A. Pérez!

John Pérez Endorsed By Current Speaker Karen Bass

Multiple media sources are reporting that the race for Speaker is all but over, and openly gay John Pérez has apparently won. On Wednesday, current Speaker Karen Bass endorsed Pérez as her successor:

Bass said Peréz has secured support of a majority of the Assembly's Democratic Caucus --including herself -- and will have enough votes (41 are needed) to become speaker. Peréz, a Democratic from L.A., would be the body's first openly gay speaker.

[...]

The speaker, who had made clear her intention to step down by early 2010, didn't lay out an exact time frame for the transition. But she said the Democratic Caucus will vote next week -- and since the Dems control a majority of the Assembly, their choice will rule when it comes down to a floor vote of the full house.

[...]

Peréz, a freshman lawmaker who is the cousin of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, emerged in recent weeks as a contender for the position. He is chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus and took the lead securing votes during last month's contentious negotiations over water policy. He formerly worked as a political director for a Southern California local of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and is a member of the Democratic National Committee.

Will California's Next Assembly Speaker Be Gay?

Freshman Assemblymember John Pérez is emerging as a leading candidate to replace Speaker of the California Assembly Karen Bass. In fact, Calitics is claiming it's all over but the wailing and the gnashing of teeth.

Perez entered the race after a number of his Assembly colleagues mounted an effort to draft him as a speakership candidate. Capitol sources said if Perez is able to secure a majority of his caucus, the vote on a new speaker could come by next week, when the Assembly reconvenes to vote on education legislation.

One of those involved in the Draft Perez movement was Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael. Huffman told Capitol Weekly Tuesday, "I believe John now has the votes. I think it's over."

[...]

Perez did not appear to have a majority of his caucus's support Tuesday, but momentum for his bid was clearly growing. Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, another candidate for the job, has told members he has support from 22 members of his caucus -- four shy of the 26 Democrats informally needed to secure the job.

Neither Perez nor De Leon's office immediately returned calls seeking comment.

Pérez is well-known around these parts as the first (and only) openly LGBT person of color to
be elected to the California Legislature. Although, if HONOR PAC has its way, he will not be the last. Openly gay (Latino) Ricardo Lara is a leading candidate in the 50th Assembly District and opely gay (African American) Mitch Ward is a leading candidate for the 53rd Assembly District.

Pérez's main challenger for the Speaker job, Kevin de León is my local Assemblyperson, and I am an elected Delegate to the California Democratic Central Committee from the 45th Assembly District.

That being said, I would still love to have an openly gay Speaker of the Assembly.

Ending (Republican) Minority Rule With One Sentence

Professor George Lakoff has submitted a proposed initiative to the Attorney General consisting of one sentence:

"All legislative actions on revenue and budget must be determined by a majority vote."

Now, that is something I would be out in the streets collecting signatures to get onto the 2010 ballot, unlike that other thing. Wanna join? Go to www.camajorityrule.com!

AD-53: Money Changes Everything?

The new front runner in AD-53?

The race to replace Ted Lieu in the 53rd State Assembly District has taken a strange turn since MadProfessah first reported on it in May. One candidate, Al Muratsuchi, has decided not to run and another has surprisingly joined the race, and the newcomer happens to be the ex-boyfriend of one of the other top candidates (not the gay one)!

According to a Daily Breeze article by Gene Maddaus, Jim Aldinger is the former boyfriend of Betsy Butler and she once sued him for $5,000 after they broke up to get some furniture back he attempted to bogart.

Aldinger and Butler parted on bad terms about seven years ago. He refused to relinquish some furniture that she'd had delivered to his house, and she had to sue him to retrieve it.

In 2004, a judge ordered him to pay her $5,000.

Both candidates say that episode is in the past and should not be relevant to the coming campaign. But their history together is likely to make the race somewhat awkward, at the least, and also raises questions about Aldinger's motives for running.

Aldinger, 48, said he is not motivated by resentment or hostility toward an ex-girlfriend who took him to court.

"This is something that's been in my mind for some time," he said. "This is not something that I would take lightly. I think I'm the most qualified."

Well, I guess all's fair in love, war and politics?

The question is, who is the frontrunner in this race? The August 2009 fundraising reports (pdf) by the Fair Political Practices Commission reveal some surprising data:

CANDIDATE                  CASH ON HAND       $RAISED    $SPENT
Jim Aldinger               $0                  $0         $322
Kate Anderson              $131,199           $135,090   $3,891
Betsy Butler               $101,487           $81,229    $25,277
Nick Karno                 $110,003           $115,768   $10,457
James Lau                  $211,030           $211,435   $2,267
Mitch Ward                 $32,725            $60,380    $29,154

The most important number is the amount of cash on hand right now, and clearly James Lau (who was not even on my list of potential candidates in May) is in the lead.

Interestingly, the openly gay Mayor Pro tem of Manhattan Beach Mitch Ward has spent the most money (so is clearly doing the most actual campaigning for the seat) is also way back in the middle of the pack on both money raised and cash on hand.

So, who is James Lau? According to his facebook page, he is the Director of the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and Chair of the 53rd Assembly District Democratic Central Committee. He is also apparently active on ActBlue and other online political junkie websites, like TotalCapitol.com.

MadProfessah will be continue to follow the contested Assembly races in Los Angeles County, especially where there is an openly LGBT candidate running.

AD-50: Lara Is Apparent Frontrunner

Ricardo Lara is an openly gay, Latino candidate for California's 50th Assembly District. The 50th Assembly District is in Los Angeles and contains the entire cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Commerce, Cudahy, Lynwood, South Gate, and Walnut Park. Lara is the District Director for the only openly gay Latino Assemblymember in California history, John Perez who represents the 46th Assembly District. Lara is supported by HONORPAC, the LGBT Latino political action committee in the June 8, 2010 Democratic primary.

UPDATE 09/09/09 17:06 (CORRECTION): Lara is the Communications Director for Assemblymember Kevin DeLeon, in the 45th District, not District Director for Assemblymember Perez in the 46th.

This is interesting, because in 2006 Lara initially ran against his future boss in the 46th District but was convinced to step aide and clear the field for Antonio Villaraigosa's cousin (Perez). However, now that the 50th District seat (currently held by Hector de la Torre) will be an open seat in 2010 the two former rivals appear to have joined forces to double the Latino LGBT representation in the California Assembly.

According to HONRPAC, Lara apparently has raised over $100,000, the most money of the three Democrats declared to be running for the seat, with Carmen Avalos, [UPDATE 09/11/09 18:06 (CORRECTION)] (a de la Torre staffer) (City Clerk of South Gate and Chair of the Cerritos Community College Board of Trustees) his most formidable rival. The other Democrat Art Chacon, is a member of the Central Basin Municipal Water District. FPPC records show Lara with about $70,000 on hand.

MadProfessah will be keeping track of this race very carefully. It's very important that openly LGBT members be elected to replace retiring members of the California LGBT Legislative Caucus, especially people of color which reflects the diversity of California.

Celebrity Friday: Harvey Milk

Legislation that would declare May 22 "Harvey Milk Day" in California passed the California legislature for the second year in a row on Thursday. Last year, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill but this time there will be a lot more attention given to how he deals with SB 572.

A few weeks ago, Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, announced that Milk would be one of a dozen men and women -- including pilot Chuck Yeager, entertainer Carol Burnett and "Star Wars" filmmaker George Lucas -- inducted into the California Hall of Fame this year.

In July, Obama awarded Milk a posthumous Medal of Freedom. And in February, Sean Penn won a best actor Oscar for the title role in the critically acclaimed film "Milk."

A spokeswoman for Schwarzenegger said the governor has not taken a position on Leno's bill. But the senator feels bullish, given Milk's burnished image in Hollywood and beyond.

"If there's one thing Arnold Schwarzenegger understands, it's box office," Leno said. "And Harvey Milk now has box office."

To encourage the Governor to sign the bill, go to http://www.eqca.org/harveymilkday