"I'm attaching a recent note sent to our Iowa group that gives an adumbration of what we're currently tackling here in Iowa. The situation for us now is pretty grim. A state (as you know) that was just a few years ago within 2 votes of passing a non- discrimination bill is now under right-wing siege.

Richard Shannon and I are the current contacts for the Iowa effort.

Mona Shaw
319-335-1667 (day)
319-351-9234 (eve)
mona-shaw@uiowa.edu
FAX: 319-335-2637

Richard Shannon
319-335-8881 (day)
319-337-5870 (eve)
richard-shannon@uiowa.edu

-------------------------------- ATTACHED NOTE --------------------------------

Date: 01/23/96

From: Mona Shaw MSHAW - ADPSYA2

Subject: Iowa Coalition

The meeting of the Iowa Coalition for Human Rights on January 23 gave us some interesting and alarming information. We met with members of the Iowa legislation and two profession lobbyists. Among other things we were informed that Rep. Charles Hurley (R) of Fayette promises along with his mentor Bill Horn to introduce the following in the upcoming legislative session:

1. An amendment to the Educational Appropriations Bill that will outlaw in a state-funded educational institution any curriculum, activity, or material that portrays homosexuality as a positive alternative.
2. A bill or a second amendment that will make it illegal to for any secondary or elementary school library to have publications or materials that portray homosexuality as a positive alternative. Community public and college libraries may have these works, but it will be illegal to check them out to minors.
3. A bill that will make same-gender marriage illegal in Iowa, and further that same-gender marriages performed legally elsewhere will not be recognized in Iowa.

All of these proposals will easily pass the Iowa House and stand a "fair" chance we are told in the Senate this year. Without signifcant opposition their chances become almost good of becoming law.

The Iowa Coalition is planning a number actions to address these, including a lobby day in March. Our next meeting to plan the lobby day will be Saturday, Feb. 24 in Iowa City.

We need your help. Badly. Please try to attend the next meeting if you possibly can. We also need money. For mailings, legislative reports, copying for lit pieces, etc. If you have a few dollars to spare, please send them to:

I O W A C O A L I T I O N F O R H U M A N R I G H T S

c/o Richard Shannon

430 E. Bloomington St., Apt. 2-B

Iowa City, IA 52245

1. Legislative Update
2. Other Coaltion Actions
   FREE LUNCH !!!!!!!!!!
3. Training and Assignments for Lobby Day
4. State-wide networking

DIRECTIONS:

>From I-80 east of Iowa City:

Take exit 246 (Hiway 1) and turn left toward Iowa City. You'll be on Dodge St. Stay on Dodge St. (which will become a one-way street at Brown St.) until you reach a "T" intersection and have to turn. Turn left onto Kirkwood Ave. which will veer right after about six blocks and become Lower Muscatine Road. Look for Sycamore St. (about four more streets on your right) and turn right onto Sycamore. The second intersection you come to will be DeForest St. Turn right onto DeForest St. The church is three blocks down on your left.

Take exit 244 (Dubuque St.) and turn right toward Iowa City. Stay on Dubuque St. until you come to the 2nd traffic light at Church St. Turn left on Church St. Go to the fifth intersection or Dodge St. Turn right on Dodge St. Stay on Dodge St. (a one-way street) until you reach a "T" intersection (about 13 intersections) and have to turn. Turn left onto Kirkwood Ave which will veer right after about six streets and become Lower Muscatine Road. Look for Sycamore St. (about four more streets on your right) and turn right onto Sycamore. The second intersection you come to will be DeForest St. Turn right onto DeForest St. The church is three blocks down and on your left.

Richard Shannon
335-8881 (day)
337-5870 (eve)
richard-shannon@uiowa.edu

Mona Shaw
335-1667 (day)
351-9234 (eve)
mona-shaw@uiowa.edu

p.s.

Date: 01/29/96

From: Mona Shaw MSHAW - ADPSYA2

Subject: Urgent Help Needed

Dear Friend,

In order to adequately follow the activities of the legislature, we need to subscribe to the Legislative News Service. Yes, I know this information should be made available free by the legislature itself, but it's not.

The fee for this service is $350 per session. We only have $80 right now in our account. We need to get this service up by the 1st of the month in order for it to help us.

We therefore need each of you to write a check, today, for some amount to finance this expense. If all you can afford is $2-5, we understand. Even this amount however, is necessary, and may make the difference in whether we are able to succeed or fail to stop the homophobic legislation that Rep. Charles Hurley has promised to introduce this session.

Everyone who contributes will receive a legislative report routinely from this service. Checks sent today could be post-dated for Feb. 1. We hope to start the service by then, since that is when we expect things to start appearing.

If you can afford more than a few dollars, we need you to be generous. The Iowa Legislative Session is short [Jan-08 to Apr-26]. And we just don't have the time nor the resources to mount a fund-raising drive. We need people to give because they care. And we need you to care enough to get your own envelope, your own stamp, and find your way to the mail box soon.

Please help. Please.

Mona Shaw

Send contributions to:

Iowa Coalition for Human Rights

c/o Richard Shannon

430 E. Bloomington St., Apt. 2-B

Iowa City, IA 52245

P.S.

To those of you who've already pledged and/or sent contributions to the Coalition. Thank you."

[The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project adds: the Web directory for the Iowa State Legislature is

http://www.legis.state.ia.us/