CHURCH STATE NEWSFLASH!!!
CALIFORNIA COALITION LOBBIES FEINSTEIN AND BOXER
ON H.R. 1691, RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTION ACT

October 27, 1999

On Friday, October 22, a diverse group representing the California 
Coalition for the Free Exercise of Religion conducted a press conference, 
and lobby visits to district offices of U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and 
Barbara Boxer. The lobby date was organized by Alan Reinach, co-chair of 
the Coalition, representing the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Coalition 
included nineteen different faith groups.

The morning began with a press conference at St. Mary's Cathedral in San 
Francisco, where the communication staff of the Archdiocese of San 
Francisco had issued a press release drafted by Alan Reinach. In attendance 
were representatives of the local press, and from the following faith 
groups: Jewish, Mormon, Christian Science, Moslem, Catholic, and 
Seventh-day Adventist, including African-American and Latino clergy.

After the press conference, we re-convened at Senator Feinstein's district 
office, and met with her chief of staff. He had a difficult time believing 
that religious liberty was in as bad a shape as we were telling him, so it 
was a good thing that Professor Alan Brownstein was there to lend 
credibility to our legal analysis. He was truly interested in the issue, 
and asked some very good questions.

The highlight of the visit was when Adventist pastor Norman Knight, an 
African-American and veteran of the civil rights movement said, in 
addressing the alleged conflict between civil rights and religious liberty, 
that the churches had provided the meeting places for the civil rights 
movement when they were unable to meet in downtown halls, and that there 
wouldn't have been a civil rights movement but for the churches. Now it is 
time for the civil rights community to repay the debt owed to the churches, 
and restore the right of religious liberty.

Alan Reinach emphasized that religious liberty has been kicked off the 
civil rights bus, and that we are simply trying to get back on the bus. 
Those who want "civil rights" to trump religious liberty insist on keeping 
religious liberty in the back of the civil rights bus. He also emphasized 
how unfair the drive for a "civil rights" amendment really is. If the 
religious community asked for a bill that would make religious liberty 
always prevail over other civil rights, everyone would laugh at us. So why 
aren't they laughing when the gay rights advocates  insist that civil 
rights always prevail over religious liberty?

Tracy Salkowitz, director of the American Jewish Congress, emphasized that 
under current law, when any government rule or regulation restricts a 
religious practice, there is no way to discuss the matter with the local or 
state officials who have the power to compromise. There is no discussion, 
because the law requires no compromise. So long as the rule applies to 
everyone, no exception need be made for the religious practice. What the 
bill is trying to do, Salkowitz said, is to restore the conversation. To 
get both sides talking about how to compromise, how to accommodate 
religious pluralism, religious minorities, religious diversity. She 
insisted that the bill pre-determines no outcome, but it opens the door for 
solutions to be negotiated.

The following visit to Senator Boxer's office was not so encouraging. Staff 
was not particularly interested or engaged in the issue, although he heard 
us out for nearly an hour.

In addition to our efforts in California, Pastor Greg Jones has been 
mobilizing support for the bill in Arizona, and Pastor Kevin James visited 
Senator Bryan's office in Nevada together with two Mormon representatives. 
In Hawaii, we are represented by David Pendleton, who, when he is not 
serving in the Hawaii Conference, is a member of the House of 
Representatives. He has scheduled a personal meeting with Senator Akaka, so 
please pray for him.

As of this morning, the hard count in the Senate on this bill is: yes 20, 
leaning yes, 11, 37???, 30 leaning no, and 2 no. As you can see, there is 
much work to be done. It takes 51 votes to pass, but 60 to close debate on 
a fillibuster. So right now we need at least 20 of the 37 ???.

Here in the Pacific Union, the count is as follows: Inouye (HI) no, Akaka 
(HI) leaning no. Hatch (UT) yes [he is the bill's chief Senate sponsor], 
Bennett (UT) yes. Reid (NV) yes, Bryan (NV) leaning no. McCain (AZ) leaning 
yes, Kyl (AZ) ???. Feinstein (CA) ???, Boxer (CA) leaning no.

The tallies for Pacific Union are 3 yes, 1 leaning yes, 2 ???, 3 leaning 
no, and 1 no. I have been praying for 7 yes votes from the Pacific Union. 
That means we need both ??? and 1 leaning no.

If you haven't already contacted your own Senators, please do so. Time is 
running out. This bill is so urgently needed. If you want any further 
information, or a particular update on the hard count, feel free to e.mail 
us back.  See Alerts #1,  2,   3

The Religious Liberty Newsflash and Legislative Alerts are occasional 
publications of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 
Department of Public Affairs & Religious Liberty. If you are receiving this 
by mistake, or otherwise wish to be taken off the list, please send notice 
to parl@dock.net.

You are encouraged to forward this to those who may be interested. Please 
do not post on the world wide web without prior permission.

Director, Alan J. Reinach, Esq., areinach@compuserve.com; 805-497-9457 ext.398.
Associate Director, Bradford Newton, bradnewton@earthlink.net
Associate Director, Lowell Bock, lowellbock@compuserve.com

For assistance with a religious liberty problem, contact any of the above 
persons.  [We serve five western states, including Arizona, California, 
Nevada, Utah and Hawaii.  For problems outside our area, we can refer to 
someone more local.]