Califonia LGBT-related legislation and legislators

The state's largest LGBT civil rights organization, Equality California, has released a list of pending legislation in the California legislature of interest to the LGBT community. Equality California has been incredibly effective in the last 8 years, by sponsoring and shepherding a number of landmark bills into enactment by two Governors. The 2007 slate of bills is listed below:

AB 43 - Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (Leno)
The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act would guarantee the California Constitution's promise of religious freedom and extend the vital protections afforded by marriage to loving and committed same-sex couples

SB 777 - Student Civil Rights Act (Kuehl)
The Student Civil Rights Act would create uniform nondiscrimination standards within the state’s education code so students, teachers and school administrators clearly understand the protections that are provided within California’s publicly-funded schools and programs.

AB 14 - Civil Rights Act of 2007 (Laird)
Assembly Bill 14, the Civil Rights Act of 20067, authored by Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), would amend existing nondiscrimination provisions to be consistent with the nondiscrimination protections in the Unruh Civil Rights Act and Government Code Section 11135, which prohibits discrimination in state funded programs and activities. AB 14 is the forth in a series of successful nondiscrimination bills authored by Assemblymember Laird and sponsored by EQCA to strengthen major areas of California law and clarify that people are protected from discrimination regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

AB 102 - Name Equality Act(Ma)
This legislation would allow domestic partners and married spouses equal opportunity, regardless of gender, to change their surnames upon marriage or domestic partnership registration.

SB 559 – Fair and Equal Taxation for Surviving Partners Act (Kehoe)
Prior to 2006, California law did not allow registered domestic partners to transfer property between each other without having its value reassessed, which can often result in increased tax liability. The Fair and Equal Taxation for Surviving Partners Act would allow certain domestic partners to seek a reduction in their property taxes if those taxes were unfairly increased prior to the availability of comprehensive domestic partnership protections in California.

One impact of California's decision to move its presidential primary to February 5, 2008 and allow for a ballot measure which would relax term limits is the ancillary effect of saving the California LGBT Legislative Caucus from disappearing. It is no coincidence that Equality California's record legislative success has occurred while the most openly lesbian and gay members of the state Legislature served. In 2008, State Senator Sheila J. Kuehl, Assemblymember John Laird and Assemblymember Mark Leno (or State Senator Carole Migden, depending on who wins their divisive primary battle initiated by Leno) will all be termed out, reducing the number of openly gay members to State Senator Christine Kehoe (who will be termed out in 2012) and whoever wins the Leno-Migden contest. It's possible, but not inevitable that the 13th Assembly district currently held by Leno will be filled by an openly gay or lesbian member. Last year, the 45th Assembly District in which MadProfessah lives which was represented by an openly lesbian member (Jackie Goldberg), but is now represented by straight (Latino) member Kevin DeLeon. If the term limits ballot proposition passes in February 2008 Kuehl, Laird and Leno could all retain their legislative seats. which bodes well for Equality California's ambitious legislative portfolio.