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Subject: POLITICS=ACLU Seeks to Bar Anti-Gay Initiative<
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 92 08:24:29 EST
Message-ID: <11.1992Nov15.082429@AmeriCast.com>

POLITICS=ACLU Seeks to Bar Anti-Gay Initiative<

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the state of Colorado
in an attempt to block an anti-gay referendum issue from becoming
part of the state's constitution.

The referendum, approved by voters Nov. 3, would amend the con-
stitution and repeal laws that protect against discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation.  Denver, Boulder and Aspen,
which represent about 20 percent of the state's 3.3 million ci-
tizens, have such laws.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the three cities plus seven
individuals, including tennis star Martina Navratilova, who lives
in Aspen and was described in the lawsuit as a lesbian.  "There's
no doubt this is a test case," James Joy, Colorado ACLU executive
director, told a news conference, according to news reports.

Colorado Attorney General Gail Norton said, "We will be defending
the state constitution. This does raise complex constitutional
issues."

The ACLU lawyers are basing the lawsuit on a decision by a Cali-
fornia appellate court that last year declared unconstitutional a
ballot initiative in Riverside, Calif., similar to the one in
Colorado. The California court refused to allow the amendment to
appear on the ballot because it violated the rights of homosexu-
als.

Meanwhile, the Oregon  Court of Appeals has ruled that an anti-
gay rights ballot measure passed by Oregon voters four years ago
is unconstitutional.

The initiative, Measure 8, repealed an executive order by former
governor Neil Goldschmidt (D) prohibiting state agencies from
discriminating on sexual orientation.

Measure 8 was sponsored by the conservative Oregon Citizens Alli-
ance, which this year sponsored a measure to amend the state con-
stitution to declare homosexuality abnormal and perverse.  Voters
rejected the measure Nov. 3.

A three-judge panel said the 1988 initiative violated rights of
free expression. The ruling frees state agencies to adopt rules
against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.
FEC Backs Fund Shift<The Federal Election Commission has given
permission to the Clinton-Gore campaign to borrow money from the
its legal fund temporarily to pay campaign bills, the Associated
Press reported.

The campaign sought permission late last month to take out a $1
million loan after Election Day from its legal compliance fund to
help pay bills until the Secret Service reimburses $1.2 million
it owes for agents' travel.

The GOP accused the Democrats of trying to use the loan as a way
to exceed the spending limit the last week of the campaign. But
the Clinton campaign said it was trying only to avoid a temporary
shortage after Nov. 3.

The FEC voted 4 to 0 Friday to give Clinton permission to take
the interest-free loan from his compliance fund, which is funded
by private donors to help the campaign with legal and accounting
costs, spokesman Scott Moxley said.

But the commissioners said the money must be used for qualified
campaign expenses, must be repaid promptly and could not be used
creatively to exceed the spending limit.

Two Democrats Move In<Two Democrats became House members upon
their election Nov.  3, making them first in seniority among the
110 freshmen in the Class of 1992.  Eva M. Clayton of North Caro-
lina and Jerrold Nadler of New York are completing the unexpired
terms of predecessors who died in office, Democrats Walter B.
Jones Sr. and Ted Weiss, respectively.

Clayton and Nadler, who already have offices in the Cannon Build-
ing, are equal in seniority, according to the House parliamen-
tarian, so any head-to-head competition for committee seats would
be decided by a coin toss. Nadler, a state legislator from
Manhattan, wants to be on the Public Works and Transportation
Committee. Clayton, a county commissioner who represents rural
eastern North Carolina, has requested either Agriculture or Ener-
gy and Commerce. - Maralee Schwartz>and Kenneth J. Cooper> 02:10
11-15C9999-----

Copyright 1992, The Washington Post.  This story is from the
Washington Post's Capitol Edition On-Line and is not to be ar-
chived or redistributed.

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