Tag Archives: AB 372 California

GOOD NEWS: CAL AND JERSEY BAD BILLS DIE

Posted on by — 14 Comments ↓

For once we have some good news! California AB 372 is officially dead! The January 22 deadline for it to pass out of committee and on to the Senate floor went by with no action. Although nothing official has come from sponsor Sen Fiona Ma, her office told CalOpen that the bill would “will not be pursued.” Astoundingly, CARE (California Adoption Reform Effort) as of tonight, has not seen fit to announce the demise of their bill on its website. It’s last update is dated May 28, 2009. That’s what we’ve come to expect, though, from fake reformers who scrub their website of their own history and embarrassing documents, dismiss an ideology of rights. embracing instead “non-emotional” wishes and desires”, (whatever that means), and posit that adoptees need to be “navigated by professionals” rather than ourselves. Veteran grassroots bastard activists who have actually gotten clean bills passed were ordered to take a hike by the dilettantes of CARE. We’re sure CARE, like herpes, will come back. Jean Strauss and CARE are all over the March 18-21 AAC conference in Sacramento. CalOpen and Bastard Nation continue to hold the line in California. There is much work to be done there, and Continue Reading →

WELCOME TO CARE’S "BIRTHMOTHER" INDOCTRINATION CENTER

Posted on by — 22 Comments ↓

Bastardette has been remiss is writing the last few days. Some other stuff took and continues to take precedence. Some of it bastard related, some not. So, I’m running this off quickly. One of the things I intended to write about is CARE’s latest move on AB 372. You know. First CARE wanted to save the old and dying adopted. Now they say they’re changing their mission to save only the yet-to-be-born adopted. Talk about a big ball of confusion! I recommend you read BB Church’s CARE Admits its Lack Implementation Strategy as well as CARE’s apologia Keep Your Eye on the Ball (click on link on front page –“Comprehensive History…”) , written probably by CARE’s “executive director” and professional lobbyist, Stephanie Williams, for a background to CARE’s latest circus trick. Incompetent CARE’s “Eyeball” attempt to frame everybody but themselves for their defeat is laughable. And it took them nearly a week after their baby was thrown into the suspension file to come up with an explanation. Yeah, those of us who already have our information or records and “unnamed” organizations that actually promote and win equal access to records who CARE kicked to the curb on Day One, are Continue Reading →

CALIFORNIA AB 372 SENT TO SUSPENSE FILE

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

If you were listening to the Cal Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing today you may wonder what happened to AB 372. First there was Assb. Ma and then there wasn’t and not a word about the bill in between. I figured it went into the suspense file, where bills are usually sent to die, but was puzzled because the number wasn’t even called. Jean Uhrich from CalOpen was on the scene and tells us that’s exactly what happened. The committee has until May 25 to retrieve it from suspension, but because of the costs involved, the bill is likely to expire there. Death by hubris. The disclosure veto, we understand, cannot be amended back to a contact preference form because the change would send the bill back to the Assembly Judiciary Committee, which has already stated its opposition to such an amendment. It may be a bit early yet, but good riddance to bad rubbish! We’ll keep you informed. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to keep those cards and letters comin” kiddies!

BASTARD NATION’S LETTER TO THE CAL ASSMB. APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: ADOPTEES ARE NOT PART OF A CALIFORNIA ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Dear Honorable Assemblymember: Bastard Nation: the Adoptee Rights Organization is the largest adoptee civil rights organization in North America. We advocate for the full human and civil rights of adult adoptees. We believe people everywhere have a right to their unaltered and unfalsifed birth records. This means opening government documents pertaining to the adoptee’s historical, genetic, and legal identity, including the unaltered original birth certificate (obc) and adoption decree. Our membership includes adopted adults and first and adoptive parents. We have substantial membership in California. BN was behind the 1998 Oregon Ballot Measure 58 which restored the right of the state’s adult adoptees to access their original birth certificates. In 2000 Bastard Nation sponsored legislation in Alabama which restored access there. In 2004 we worked in a coalition of adoptee rights advocates in New Hampshire where adoptee civil rights were restored on January 1, 2005. We are currently working in other states to restore records access. Bastard Nation leaves no one behind. We do not support legislation that restricts even one adopted person from receiving his or her own information. Bastard Nation does not support AB 372. Our submitted testimony is in the official Assembly Judiciary legislative analysis. AB 372 Continue Reading →

CAL OPEN/BASTARD NATION ACTION ALERT- CAL AB 372. ACT NOW!

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

This is CalOpen’s URGENT ACTION ALERT FOR CALIFORNIA. It also serves as a Bastard Nation Action Alert Note that Assb. Ma’s office now says there will be an $8 MILLION start-up cost!!!!!!! * * * CALIFORNIA OPEN ACTION ALERT * * * PLEASE DISTRIBUTE FREELY Issued May 12, 2009 URGE THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATUREASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEETO VOTE NO ON AB 372 On Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 AB 372 will come before the California State Legislature’s Assembly Appropriations Committee. Assembly Bill 372 would require State Notification to birthparents of an adoptee’s request for their record and the birthparent’s Consent to Disclosure and Release of the Original Birth Certificate to the adoptee. The author’s office has stated there is an $8 Million start up cost estimate attached to the bill. The State of California can not afford such foolish expense, especially when other open records states have utilized a Contact Preference Form with no fiscal note attached and no additional staff required for implementation and provision. WE MUST ACT NOW TO DEFEAT AB 372 AND LEAVE CLEAR THE PATH FOR A RIGHTS DRIVEN OPEN RECORDS BILL. DO NOT ALLOW A MISGUIDED ATTEMPT TO WORK WITHIN AND EXPAND AN EXISTING DISCLOSURE VETO, UNDER Continue Reading →

ACTION ALERT – DEFEAT CALIFORNIA AB 372

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

We are running on a very tight schedule here, so I’m posting CalOpen’s AB 372 Action Alert here instead of writing up a separate one for BN. Bastard Nation is submitting it’s testimony later today. NOTE: As of this posting, the official Ma amendments are not available. Help us defeat this abomination! * * * CALIFORNIA OPEN ACTION ALERT * * *PLEASE DISTRIBUTE FREELY Issued April 20, 2009 URGE THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATUREASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEETO VOTE NO ON AB 372 DEADLINE FOR YOUR LETTER TO BECOME A PART OF THE RECORD: 5 PM PST TUESDAY, APRIL 21st, 2009(Even if you miss the deadline, please continue to send your letters and e-mails.) On Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 AB 372 will come before the California State Legislature’s Assembly Judiciary Committee. Assembly Bill 372 would require State Notification to birthparents of an adoptee’s request for their record and the birthparent’s Consent to Disclosure and Release of the Original Birth Certificate to the adoptee. Until the amendments are viewed, it is not known who would fund the notification. Perhaps that would be the responsibility of the adoptee making request. WE MUST ACT NOW TO DEFEAT AB 372 AND LEAVE CLEAR THE PATH FOR A Continue Reading →