Thread: CA: Urgent CA Alert - SB 242 - HELP!!!

California State Senate Call Alert

This is an urgent call alert!

S.B. 242 is a bill that amends California's civil rights laws to make language a protected civil right like national origin, sex, and race. Introduced by State Senator Leland Yee (D- the bill threatens to unleash a food of civil rights lawsuits against private and parochial schools, professional associations, community organizations as well as individuals and employers who "discriminate" by failing to accommodate other languages.

S.B. 242 can be taken up for a vote in the full Senate as early as TODAY!

We need your help! Please call your state senator from the list below and urge them to VOTE NO on S.B. 242. Please TAKE ACTION NOW. Having your language accommodated is NOT civil right. PLEASE CALL NOW.

Aanestad, Sam (R-4) (916) 651-4004
Alquist, Elaine (D-13) (916) 651-4013
Ashburn, Roy (R-1 (916) 651-4018
Benoit, John J (R-37) (916) 651-4037
Calderon, Ron (D-30) (916) 651-4030
Cedillo, Gilbert (D-22) (916) 651-4022
Cogdill, Dave (R-14) (916) 651-4014
Corbett, Ellen (D-10) (916) 651-4010
Correa, Lou (D-34) (916) 651-4034
Cox, Dave (R-1) (916) 651-4001
Denham, Jeff (R-12) (916) 651-4012
DeSaulnier, Mark (D-7) (916)651-4007
Ducheny, Denise (D-40) (916) 651-4040
Dutton, Robert D. (R-31) (916) 651-4031
Florez, Dean (D-16) (916) 651-4016
Hancock, Loni (D-9) (916) 651-4009
Harman, Tom (R-35) (916) 651-4035
Hollingsworth, Dennis (R-36)(916) 651-4036
Huff, Bob (R-29) (916) 651-4029
Kehoe, Christine (D-39) (916) 651-4039
Leno, Mark (D-3) (916) 651-4003
Liu, Carol (D-21) (916) 651-4021
Lowenthal, Alan S. (D-27) (916) 651-4027
Maldonado, Abel (R-15) (916) 651-4015
McLeod, Gloria (D-32) (916) 651-4032
Oropeza, Jenny (D-2 (916) 651-4028
Padilla, Alex (D-20) (916) 651-4020
Pavley, Fran (D-23) (916) 651-4023
Romero, Gloria (D-24) (916) 651-4024
Runner, George (R-17) (916) 651-4017
Simitian, Joe (D-11) (916) 651-4011
Steinberg, Darrell (D-6) (916)-651-4006
Strickland, Tony (R-19) (916) 651-4019
Walters, Mimi (R-33) (916) 651-4033
Wiggins, Patricia (D-2) (916) 651-4002
Wolk, Lois (D-5) (916) 651-4005
Wright, Roderick (D-25) (916) 651-4025
Wyland, Mark (R-3 (916) 651-4038
Yee, Leland (D- (916) 651-4008

Here are some points to make when you call (remember it doesn't take many calls to get a state senator's attention):

1. I am calling to urge you to vote "NO" on S.B. 242 that would make a person's language a protected civil right like race, national origin and sex.
2. Unlike sex, race, and national origin, language is a CHOICE and should not be transformed into a RIGHT that can be imposed on employers or anyone else under our civil rights laws.
3. This bill violates the freedom of speech guarantees in our state constitution.
4. S.B. 242 will open up Pandora's Box of litigation against private entities of all kinds and give employers one more reason to leave California.
5. Please urge your colleagues to vote NO on S.B. 242!

Please act today!

I made calls on this earlier today.

The traitors passed it!

BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY Senator Yee

FEBRUARY 24, 2009

An act to add Section 51.15 to the Civil Code, relating to civil
rights.



LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 242, as introduced, Yee. Civil rights: language restrictions.
The Unruh Civil Rights Act generally prohibits business
establishments from discriminating on the basis of sex, race, color,
religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, or medical
condition. The act provides civil remedies for violations of its
provisions. Under the California Fair Employment Housing Act, it is
an unlawful employment practice for an employer to adopt or enforce a
policy that prohibits the use of any language in the workplace,
except if that policy is justified by business necessity, as defined,
and prescribed notice of the policy and consequences for violation
of the policy is given to employees.
This bill would make it a violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act
to adopt or enforce a policy that limits or prohibits the use of any
language in a business establishment, unless the language is
justified by a business necessity, as defined, and notification has
been provided of the circumstances and the time when the language
restriction is to be observed and of the consequences for its
violation. The bill would define business necessity to require, among
other things, that the language restriction is necessary to the safe
and efficient operation of the business and that an equally
effective, but less discriminatory, alternative practice does not
exist. The bill would provide for an award of damages, and attorney's
fees as may be determined by the court, for a violation of its
provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. Section 51.15 is added to the Civil Code, to read:
51.15. (a) It is a violation of Section 51 to adopt or enforce a
policy that limits or prohibits the use of any language in a business
establishment, unless both of the following conditions exist:
(1) The language restriction is justified by a business necessity.
For purposes of this section, "business necessity" means an
overriding legitimate business purpose for which all of the following
are true:
(A) The language restriction is necessary to the safe and
efficient operation of the business.
(B) The language restriction effectively fulfills the business
purpose it is supposed to serve.
(C) An alternative practice to the language restriction that would
accomplish the business purpose equally well with a lesser
discriminatory impact does not exist.
(2) Notification has been provided of the circumstances and the
time when the language restriction is required to be observed and of
the consequences for its violation.
(b) In an action pursuant to this section, remedies shall be
awarded as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 52.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit
application of any other remedies or rights provided under the law.
http://leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/se ... duced.html

From "The ProEnglish Advocate"
Spring, 2009

California legislator seeks to make language choice a “civil rightâ€