--- David Strand <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 18:03:19 -0700 (PDT) > From: David Strand <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Mpls public schools fed funding threatened > by Hilleary amendment > To: issues minneapolis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > CC: MPN Minnesota Politics National > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Hi all, The US House of Representatives passed an > amendment to the education funding bill yesterday > that > will require all k-12 schools that recieve any form > of > federal dollars from the Department of education to > allow youth groups targeting people under the age of > 21 access to the school if the organization has a > policy banning "homosexuals" from membership or > leadership positions. The amendment is deceptively > cited as "The Boy Scouts of America Equal Access > Act." > It would actually forbid a school district from > banning any group on the basis of that group > discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, > so > the results of the legislation would reach far > beyond > requiring schools to allow access to just the Boy > Scouts of America. > > Furthermore, the act may be interpreted, in banning > discrimination against groups that officially ban > gay > and lesbian members and leaders, to require school > districts to give equal consideration in awarding > youth serving contracts to such groups. > > I would like to thank Rep. Martin Sabo for voting > against the overall education bill due to his > opposition to this amendment. The amendment passed > on > a voice vote. > > Minneapolis Public Schools federal funding is > threatened by this amendment. Calls are needed to > Senators Wellstone and Dayton to highlight our > communities concerns about this threat to our > schools > due to their support of equal opportunity for all > regardless of sexual orientation. > > Following is the text of the amendment. > > Thanks, > > David Strand > Loring Park, Ward 7 > > > Amendment No. 24 offered by Mr. HILLEARY: > > After part A of title IX of the bill, insert the > following (and redesignate provisions accordingly): > > > > PART B--EQUAL ACCESS TO PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES > > SEC. 921. SHORT TITLE. > > This part may be cited as the ``Boy Scouts of > America Equal Access Act''. > > SEC. 922. EQUAL ACCESS. > > (a) IN GENERAL.--Notwithstanding any other > provision of law, no funds made available through > the > Department of Education shall be provided to any > public elementary school, public secondary school, > local educational agency, or State educational > agency, > if the school or a school served by the agency-- > > (1) has a designated open forum; and > > (2) denies equal access or a fair opportunity to > meet to, or discriminates against, > > [Page: H2618] GPO's PDF > any group affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America > or > any other youth group that wishes to conduct a > meeting > within that designated open forum, on the basis of > the > membership or leadership criteria of the Boy Scouts > of > America or of the youth group that prohibit the > acceptance of homosexuals, or individuals who reject > the Boy Scouts' or the youth group's oath of > allegiance to God and country, as members or > leaders. > (b) TERMINATION OF ASSISTANCE AND OTHER > ACTION.-- > > (1) DEPARTMENTAL ACTION.--The Secretary is > authorized and directed to effectuate subsection (a) > by issuing, and securing compliance with, rules or > orders with respect to a public school or agency > that > receives funds made available through the Department > of Education and that denies equal access, or a fair > opportunity to meet, or discriminates, as described > in > subsection (a). > > (2) PROCEDURE.--The Secretary shall issue and > secure compliance with the rules or orders, under > paragraph (1), in a manner consistent with the > procedure used by a Federal department or agency > under > section 602 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 > U.S.C. > 2000d-1). > > (3) JUDICIAL REVIEW.--Any action taken by the > Secretary under paragraph (1) shall be subject to > the > judicial review described in section 603 of that Act > (42 U.S.C. 2000d-2). Any person aggrieved by the > action may obtain that judicial review in the > manner, > and to the extent, provided in section 603 of that > Act. > > (c) DEFINITIONS AND RULE.-- > > (1) DEFINITIONS.--In this section: > > (A) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL; LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY; > SECONDARY SCHOOL; STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.--The > terms > ``elementary school'', ``local educational agency'', > ``secondary school'', and ``State educational > agency'' > have the meanings given the terms in section 8101 of > the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 > (as > in effect after the effective date of this Act). > > (B) SECRETARY.--The term ``Secretary'' means the > Secretary of Education, acting through the Assistant > Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of > Education. > > (C) YOUTH GROUP.--The term ``youth group'' means > any group or organization intended to serve young > people under the age of 21. > > (2) RULE.--For purposes of this section, an > elementary school or secondary school has a > designated > open forum whenever the school involved grants an > offering to or opportunity for 1 or more youth or > community groups to meet on school premises or in > school facilities before or after the hours during > which attendance at the school is compulsory. > > SEC. 923. EFFECTIVE DATE. > > Notwithstanding section 5, this part takes > effect > 1 day after the date of the enactment of this Act. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
