Legislative Alert!!!

CALIFORNIA SENATE BILL 38 STALLED IN COMMITTEE
LAND USE BILL URGENTLY NEEDS GRASSROOTS SUPPORT

May 19, 1999

The California Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Tuesday onS.B.
38, a bill to apply constitutional protections to religious activitiesthat
involve land use. The Committee rejected the bill in its current form,but
instead of taking a vote that would kill the bill, the Committee sentus
back to work on it.

Specifically, the bill would require government, in the land use process,
to justify restrictions on religious land use by demonstrating a
substantial connection to an important governmental purpose. The billalso
contains non-discrimination language that requires government to treat
religions no worse than others with similar impacts on the community.

Key committee members raised one basic objection: why should we treat
churches differently than businesses? In effect, they are arguing for
"equality" - treat churches the same, or equally, with other land uses.The
problem with this "equality" theory is that churches don't get treated
equally, we are discriminated against.

Local government doesn't want churches. We're unwelcome in residential
zones because of noise, parking and traffic concerns. We're unwantedin
business zones because we don't pay taxes and we don't attract customers
for other businesses. We're thought to be incompatible with industrialand
farming uses as well. So where do we fit in? We don't!

When government officials have discretion, they use it in ways that
effectively discriminate against churches. We're zoned out of townas in
the City of Corona. Or our uses are restricted, as in Soquel and Redwood
campgrounds, and the Vacaville Church.

The point of this bill is to implement a balancing test that permits
government to restrict religious uses, but only if there is a goodreason
to do so.

The message coming out of committee is that we have done a very poorjob of
communicating to the legislators: 1) the need for the bill; and 2)how much
people care.

WHAT TO DO NOW!!!

It is imperative that every Adventist institution, that is every church,
school and conference write on letterhead to Senator Adam Schiff, thechair
of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and send copies to your own State
Senator, as well as a copy to the Pacific Union Conference. You needto let
them know that this bill is needed in order for churches to have afair
shake in the land use process

IF YOU HAVE A GOOD STORY TO TELL OF A LAND USE PROBLEM, PLEASE CALLALAN
REINACH IMMEDIATELY. We will want to work with you to make surethe story
is told effectively.

Not only should every Adventist conference, school and church be writing,
but all church employees, including pastors, conference officials,local
church secretaries, etc. If you think religion should obtain fair treatment
from local government in land use, you need to take the time to makeit
happen.

Senator Adam Schiff
California State Senate
P.O. Box 942848
Sacramento, CA 94248-0001

Individuals are encouraged to phone Senator Schiff's office at
916-445-5976.
Send e.mail to:  senator.schiff@sen.ca.gov

If you need to find out who your own Senator is, you can link to theState
Senate's web page from our own, www.freedomsring.com.
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