Tag: California

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California: Initiative To Propose Killing Gays Likely To Move Forward

A Southern California lawyer has filed a proposal that would put a “kill the gays” initiative before voters, and Attorney General Kamala Harris most likely can’t stop the process from advancing to the signature gathering stage.

Attorney Matthew G. McLaughlin filed the proposed measure last month, asking voters to criminalize homosexuality in the state and impose a death penalty sentence.

In his filing, which McLaughlin titles “Sodomite Suppression Act,” he seeks to have written into law that “any person who willingly touches another person of the same gender for purposes of sexual gratification be put to death by bullets to the head or by any other convenient method.”

Harris is now tasked with having to write a title and summary for the proposal.

More than 3,800 people signed a petition to State Bar President Craig Holden asking that McLaughlin lose his law license for advocating to “legalize the murder” of gays and lesbians.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article15394181.html#storylink=cpy

Read the full text of the initiative here.

(source)

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More Cases Of Ocular Syphilis Reported In California

Several cases of ocular syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that can cause blindness, have been reported in Los Angeles.

On March 12, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued an advisory for primary and eye-care providers to look out for symptoms associated with the disease, which is usually a complication of primary or secondary syphilis infections.

With more than a dozen cases — most among gay men — reported between Seattle and San Francisco and now potentially two in Southern California, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation is calling for medical professionals to do more, the Times reports.

California ranks second in the country in terms of syphilis cases. Georgia had the highest incidences of the disease in 2013.

Read more at the L.A. Times.

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California Man Files “Death Penalty For Sodomites” Ballot Initiative

A California lawyer has filed a proposed ballot initiative which would legalize the death penalty for gays in the Golden state.

According to Wonkette, a man listed as Matt McLaughlin of Huntington Beach, California, has paid his $200 filing fee to begin what he hopes would see death and million dollar fines for “sodomites” via his “Sodomite Suppression Act.”

Excerpt from McLaughlin’s filing:

“Seeing that it is better that offenders should die rather than that all of us should be killed by God’s just wrath against us for the folly of tolerating-wickedness in our midst, the People of California wisely command, in the fear of God, that any person who willingly touches another person of the same gender for purposes of sexual gratification be put to death by bullets to the head or by any other convenient method.”

In addition, McLaughlin would like to see gays fined $1 million for each “sodomistic propaganda” incident and possible expulsion from California. Plus, none of the “sodomites” may be allowed to hold public office.

McLaughlin now needs 366,000 signatures via petition to get his legislation on the next ballot.
See a copy of the wording above.

(h/t JMG)

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California: Sen. Barbara Boxer Will Not Seek Re-Election In 2016

Sen. Barbara Boxer of California has announced, via video “interview” with her grandson, that she will not seek re-election in 2016.

As NBC notes, this sets several big name Democrats in motion for the open Senate seat:

High-profile California Democrats like Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, state Attorney General Kamala Harris and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have had to bide their time with Sens. Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, as well as Gov. Jerry Brown, occupying the top three statewide offices.

So now’s their chance.

And if you include current Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, there are as many as four well-known Democrats who might have their eyes on Boxer’s seat, potentially setting up a titantic and expensive race to succeed her. There’s also the possibility that a Silicon Valley entrepreneur or Hollywood star (remember Arnold Schwarzenegger) is interested in running.

Worth noting: California has a top-two primary system – regardless of party – so it’s possible that two Democrats clash in the 2016 general election. Or one Democrat and one Republican. Or even two Republicans (though that’s very, very unlikely in this blue state).

“I am never going to retire,” Boxer says in the video. “The work is too important. But I will not be running for the Senate in 2016.”

“I want to come home. I want to come home to the state I love so much, California.”

See Boxer’s announcement below:

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California: Gay GOP Candidate Carl DeMaio Loses Congressional Bid

Failed GOP candidate Carl DeMaio

After a scandal-ridden campaign for California’s 52nd Congressional seat, openly gay Republican Carl DeMaio has lost his race to incumbent Rep. Scott Peters.

Via 10News.com:

Ballots counted Friday gave Peters 51.3 percent of the vote compared to 48.8 percent for Carl DeMaio, or a lead of nearly 4,500 votes.

Although San Diego County Registrar of Voters Michael Vu estimates that between 10,000 and 15,000 ballots remain to be counted, The Associated Press has determined that is insufficient for DeMaio to overtake Peters.

In addition to two separate accusations of sexual harassment, DeMaio also had to contend with video footage coming to light wherein he told Tea Party supporters he would “owe” them “everything.”

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California Bans Plastic Grocery Bags

California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law the first ban of plastic grocery bags in the country:

SB270 prohibits stores from providing disposable plastic grocery bags to shoppers, and requires them to charge for paper bags. The bill, which proponents called a national model, represents a step toward elimination of the plastic checkout bags which have been a standard for American shoppers since the mid-1970s. Bag manufacturers, however, have vowed to repeal the bill through a ballot initiative.

“This bill is a step in the right direction – it reduces the torrent of plastic polluting our beaches, parks and even the vast ocean itself,” said Governor Brown. “We’re the first to ban these bags, and we won’t be the last.”

While opponents of the legislation (namely, the plastics lobby) point to a charge for paper bags that would “burden” lower class families, the fact is many stores have been giving a credit ranging from five to ten cents per reusable bags brought by customers.

Personally, I have several reusable bags in my trunk at all time. The reusable bags hold more, and more securely. I’d much rather carry two strong bags than 10 half-empty plastic bags.

An then there’s the obvious – it’s better for the environment.

Period.

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Third Circuit Court of Appeals upholds “conversion therapy” ban in New Jersey

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday to uphold New Jersey’s law prohibiting medical professionals in the state from practicing gay conversion therapy, or efforts to turn gay people straight, on people under the age of 18.

The 3rd Circuit Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a November 2013 ruling that found the state’s law, called A3371, which prohibits medical professionals in the state from practicing “gay conversion” therapy, or efforts to turn gay people straight, on people under the age of 18, as constitutional.

The appeals court agreed with the prior court ruling that the plaintiffs’ arguments don’t trump the state’s ability to enact laws regulating professionals, including medical and mental health providers.

The American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the Pan American Health Organization have all warned that these “therapies” can be harmful to minors. In addition, all agree there is no evidence “conversion therapy” is actually effective.

Last year, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals made a similar ruling upholding California’s statewide ban on conversion therapy for minors.

New Jersey and California are the only two states that currently have such laws.

(source)

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California Assembly passes ban on so-called “gay panic” defense

According to the Fresno Bee, California may soon become the first state in the country to ban the use of “gay panic” defense in murder cases.

The California Assembly approved AB2501 by a vote of 50-10 this past Wednesday. The legislation would bar defendants from using a victims’ sexual orientation or gender as a basis for a so-called “panic defense.”

Currently, California allows for murder charges to be reduced to lesser crimes like manslaughter if the killer claims they “panicked” upon discovering someone was gay or transgender.

The American Bar Association has previously announced it’s support for reducing the use of panic defenses.

The bill is now on it’s way to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature.

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California: Tax and minimum wage increases leads to rising economy

What happens when a state implements modest tax increases, raises minimum wage and embraces Obamacare?

Conservatives won’t be happy to learn the truth.

Paul Krugman for the New York Times:

If tax increases are causing a major flight of jobs from California, you can’t see it in the job numbers. Employment is up 3.6 percent in the past 18 months, compared with a national average of 2.8 percent; at this point, California’s share of national employment, which was hit hard by the bursting of the state’s enormous housing bubble, is back to pre-recession levels.

On health care, some people — basically healthy young men who were getting inexpensive insurance on the individual market and were too affluent to receive subsidies — did face premium increases, which we always knew would happen. Over all, however, the costs of health reform came in below expectations, while enrollment came in well above — more than triple initial predictions in the San Francisco area. A recent survey by the Commonwealth Fund suggests that California has already cut the percentage of its residents without health insurance in half. What’s more, all indications are that further progress is in the pipeline, with more insurance companies entering the marketplace for next year.

And, yes, the budget is back in surplus.

[snip]

So what do we learn from the California comeback? Mainly, that you should take anti-government propaganda with large helpings of salt. Tax increases aren’t economic suicide; sometimes they’re a useful way to pay for things we need. Government programs, like Obamacare, can work if the people running them want them to work, and if they aren’t sabotaged from the right. In other words, California’s success is a demonstration that the extremist ideology still dominating much of American politics is nonsense.

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Plan to divide California into 6 states has signatures for ballot initiative

A California billionaire says he has the necessary signatures to put a plan to divide California into six separate states to a state-wide vote.  If the signatures are certified, the plan will appear on the November 2016 election.

Via Reuters:

Timothy Draper, a founder of a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that has invested in Twitter, Skype and Tesla, among other companies, has been agitating for months for a ballot initiative to chop the most populous U.S. state into smaller entities.

“It’s important because it will help us create a more responsive, more innovative and more local government, and that ultimately will end up being better for all of Californians,” said Roger Salazar, a spokesman for the campaign. “The idea … is to create six states with responsive local governments – states that are more representative and accountable to their constituents.”

If Californians were to actually pass the initiative, which political strategists say is very unlikely, then the issue would have to be passed by the US Congress. Again, unlikely.

However, the plan would serve to slice and dice California into states like Silicon Valley (which would include the tech hub of the state), North California (the area surrounding Sacramento, the state capital), South California (San Diego and outlying LA suburbs) and Los Angeles would become a state unto itself as West California.

(h/t JMG)