At the Tuesday, January 23, meeting of the Virginia Senate Local Government Committee, Senate Bill 1147 was "passed by indefinitely" on a vote of 9 to 6. The bill would have
explicitly permitted Fairfax County to amend its Human Rights Ordinance to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Voting in favor of the bill were:
- Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth)
- Sen. Henry L. Marsh, III (D-Richmond)
- Sen. Linda T. "Toddy" Puller (D-Mt. Vernon), the bill's chief patron
- Sen. W. Roscoe Reynolds (D-Martinsville)
- Sen. Patricia S. Ticer (D-Alexandria)
- Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D-Arlington)
Voting to kill the bill were:
- Sen. Randy Forbes (R-Chesapeake)
- Sen. Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. (R-Mt. Solon)
- Sen. Stephen H. Martin (R-Richmond)
- Sen. Willam C. Mims (R-Leesburg)
- Sen. Stephen D. Newman (R-Lynchburg)
- Sen. Phillip Puckett (D-Tazewell)
- Sen. Frederick M. Quayle (R-Chesapeake)
- Sen. Frank M. Ruff, Jr. (R-Clarksville)
- Sen. John C. Watkins (R-Midlothian)
Please contact those senators who voted in favor of the legislation and thank them for their support.
A bill to explicitly permit Fairfax County to amend its Human Rights Ordinance to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation has been introduced in the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond. It is Senate Bill 1147. Sen. Toddy Puller (D-Mt. Vernon) is carrying the bill.
The first step in getting this bill through is to secure co-patrons. We need, at least, co-patrons from among as many Fairfax County-based legislators and as many members of the Senate Local Government Committee as possible. Please contact your state senator and state delegate TODAY to ask them to sign on to co-patron this important legislation. If he or she has already signed on, please call to say "thank you." Contact information appears below. (Note: During the legislative session, you may also call toll free and leave a message for your senator and delegate at 1-800-889-0229.)
As of January 10, 2001, the co-patrons are:
- Sen. Linda T. "Toddy" Puller (D-Mt. Vernon) - Chief Patron
- Sen. Leslie L. Byrne (D-Fairfax)
- Sen. Janet D. Howell (D-Reston)
- Del. Kenneth R. Plum (D-Reston)
- Del. James M. Scott (D-Merrifield)
- Sen. Patricia S. Ticer (D-Alexandria)
- Del. Vivian E. Watts (D-Annandale)
Talking points to help you when speaking with your legislators appear at the bottom of this page.
And, please make plans to join FACE in Richmond on Monday, January 22, to lobby in person during Virginians for Justice Lobby Day. Every voice will count as we work together
to ensure that all persons are afforded equal opportunity to participate
in our community life free from discrimination.
ABOUT SENATE BILL 1147
Virginia Code sections 15.2-853 and 15.2-854 outline the authority of local governments of the "urban county executive" type to adopt local human rights laws and to create human rights commissions to enforce those laws. The current law allows such counties to ban discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, education and credit on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, familial status and disability. Fairfax County is the only county in Virginia with an "urban county executive" form of government.
Senate Bill 1147 would amend Virginia Code sections 15.2-853 and 15.2-854 by inserting the words "sexual orientation" after the words "marital status." This would explicitly permit counties with an "urban county executive" form of government to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
A copy of the bill is available in both HTML and Adobe ACROBAT .PDF formats. You may check the current status of the bill on the Virginia General Assembly's web site.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Fairfax County Delegation - Senators
| Name | Party/District | Location | Local Tel. | Richmond Tel. 1-804-698-.... |
| +Sen. Patricia S. Ticer | D-30 | Alexandria | 703-549-5770 | 7530 |
| Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple | D-31 | Arlington | 703-538-4097 | 7531 |
| +Sen. Janet D. Howell | D-32 | Reston | 703-709-8283 | 7532 |
| Sen. Willam C. Mims | R-33 | Leesburg | 703-779-1888 | 7533 |
| Sen. Leslie L. Byrne | D-34 | Fairfax | 703-836-9015 | 7534 |
| Sen. Richard L. Saslaw | D-35 | Springfield | 703-978-0200 | 7535 |
| +Sen. Linda T. "Toddy" Puller | D-36 | Mt. Vernon | 703-765-1150 | 7536 |
| Sen. Warren E. Barry | R-37 | Fairfax | 703-321-0900 | 7537 |
+ Already a co-patron, as of Jan. 6, 2001.
Fairfax County Delegation - Delegates
| Name | Party/District | Location | Local Tel. | Richmond Tel. 1-804-698-.... |
| Del. Richard H. Black | R-32 | Great Falls | 703-406-2951 | 1032 |
| Del. Joe T. May | R-33 | Leesburg | 703-779-1191 | 1033 |
| Del. Vincent F. Callahan, Jr. | R-34 | McLean | 703-356-1925 | 1034 |
| Del. Jeannemarie A. Devolites | R-35 | Oakton | 703-938-7972 | 1035 |
| Del. Kenneth R. Plum | D-36 | Reston | 703-758-9733 | 1036 |
| Del. John H. Rust | R-37 | Fairfax | 703-385-8000 | 1037 |
| Del. Robert D. Hull | D-38 | Falls Church | 703-573-4855 | 1038 |
| +Del. Vivian E. Watts | D-39 | Annandale | 703-978-2989 | 1039 |
| Del. James K. O'Brien, Jr. | R-40 | Clifton | 703-750-9801 | 1040 |
| Del. James H. Dillard II | R-41 | Fairfax | 703-323-9556 | 1041 |
| Del. David B. Albo | R-42 | Springfield | 703-451-3555 | 1042 |
| Del. Thomas M. Bolvin | R-43 | Alexandria | 703-719-7301 | 1043 |
| Del. Kristin J. Amundson | D-44 | Mt. Vernon | 703-768-7520 | 1044 |
| Del. Marian Van Landingham | D-45 | Alexandria | 703-549-2511 | 1045 |
| Del. Brian J. Moran | D-46 | Alexandria | 703-549-8253 | 1046 |
| Del. James F. Almand | D-47 | Arlington | 703-524-9700 | 1047 |
| Del. Robert H. Brink | D-48 | Arlington | 703-243-5778 | 1048 |
| +Del. James M. Scott | D-53 | Merrifield | 703-560-8338 | 1053 |
+ Already a co-patron, as of Jan. 10, 2001.
Senate Local Government Committee
| Name | Party/District | Location | Local Tel. | Richmond Tel. 1-804-698-.... |
| Sen. Randy Forbes | R-14 | Chesapeake | 757-547-1000 | 7514 |
| Sen. Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. | R-24 | Mt. Solon | 540-885-6898 | 7524 |
| Sen. L. Louise Lucas | D-18 | Portsmouth | 757-397-8209 | 7518 |
| Sen. Henry L. Marsh, III | D-16 | Richmond | 804-648-9073 | 7516 |
| Sen. Stephen H. Martin | R-11 | Richmond | 804-674-0242 | 7511 |
| *Sen. Willam C. Mims | R-33 | Leesburg | 703-779-1888 | 7533 |
| Sen. Stephen D. Newman | R-23 | Lynchburg | 804-385-1065 | 7523 |
| Sen. Phillip Puckett | D-38 | Tazewell | 540-979-8181 | 7538 |
| +*Sen. Linda T. "Toddy" Puller | D-36 | Mt. Vernon | 703-765-1150 | 7536 |
| Sen. Frederick M. Quayle (Chair) | R-13 | Chesapeake | 757-483-9173 | 7513 |
| Sen. W. Roscoe Reynolds | D-20 | Martinsville | 540-638-2315 | 7520 |
| Sen. Frank M. Ruff, Jr. | R-15 | Clarksville | 804-374-5129 | 7515 |
| +*Sen. Patricia S. Ticer | D-30 | Alexandria | 703-549-5770 | 7530 |
| Sen. John C. Watkins | R-10 | Midlothian | 804-379-2063 | 7510 |
| *Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple | D-31 | Arlington | 703-538-4097 | 7531 |
* Fairfax Delegation member
+ Already a co-patron, as of Jan. 10, 2001.
TALKING POINTS
-
It is already illegal in Fairfax County
to discriminate based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital
status, age, familial status, or disability. Protections exist in
the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, education, credit,
and county contracting.
-
Talented individuals in our county who
are gay or perceived as gay can be discriminated against - with no protection
or recourse. In this climate, some of our citizens who believe such
discrimination is wrong are reluctant to act fairly, afraid of controversy
or of being targeted for discrimination themselves.
-
Jurisdictions that already have taken
action to protect their citizens against such unfair discrimination include
Arlington County and the City of Alexandria in Virginia, Montgomery and
Prince George's Counties in Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
-
Fairfax County must keep pace to compete
successfully for the forward-thinking businesses and employees it is trying
to attract. Discrimination that denies any individual the opportunity
to contribute fully to the common good is a deterrent to our county's continued
prosperity. Permitting discrimination and the fear of discrimination
to continue unabated is wrong. It is time for our Board of Supervisors
to amend the Fairfax County Code.
-
Polls have consistently shown that as many as 80% of Americans favor workplace fairness by banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Fairfax County's Board of Supervisors overwhelmingly voted in favor of this legislation. At two public hearings on this topic, no citizen rose to speak against this measure.
-
For Fairfax County Legislators: It is vital that legislators from Fairfax County back issues of local home rule, especially one such as this which has overwhelming public support.
-
For Legislators from Outside of Fairfax County: This is a local governance issue. Fairfax County's citizens and its Board of Supervisors overwhelmingly support this county-initiated measure. It is important to allow local jurisdictions the ability to adopt local solutions to local problems. The bill as crafted applies only to Fairfax County.
