Monday, June 29, 1998
Greetings, Adoptee-rights advocates:
Governor Carper of Delaware has agreed to sign an unconditional original birth certificate access bill in Delaware - a bill which up to this point contained no anti-adoptee provisions. The original authors of the bill have decided at the last minute to support a birthparent disclosure veto amendment, despite the fact that we were promised just a few days ago by AAC State Representative Carolyn Hoard that the bill would be pulled before such an amendment would be supported.
We need your help to let legislators know that this is a violation of adoptee civil rights, and a measure which treats adopted people as suspect citizens whom the government can justifiably deny equal access to personal documents, based on the possible shame and embarrassment they might cause a birthparent. Let's NOT allow this travesty to take place when they are so close and Governor Carper himself is in favor of a clean civil rights bill. Please take a few moments now to make a difference! If you have written before we need you to write again to these same people, ESPECIALLY Senators Blevins, Sharp, Voshell and Bair.
Thanks to the efforts of many of you, HB 522, a pure adult adoptee original birth certificate access bill, was unanimously passed out of the Delaware House, and now goes to the full Senate for a vote.
Your help is urgently needed to help HB 522 get passed in the last stretch. Delaware senators need to hear from you ASAP (this bill goes to a vote possibly as soon as tomorrow night!) It doesn't matter whether you have a DE connection or not - but if you do, please mention it!
PLEASE find some time today or tomorrow to email, fax and call (or as much as you can do or your conscience moves you) these legislators to voice your support for adult adoptee civil rights and dignity. It is time for the government to get out of the business of denying an entire population its rights based on erroneous presumptions of adoptees being shameful, frightening or even dangerous. It is time for equal rights and an end to the shackles of shame. Print this out if you can!
This is all it takes: Write a letter and/or make a call in support of HB 522 to as many of the DE Senators below as you can, (at least BLEVINS, SHARP, VOSHELL and BAIR). Be sure to include your name, address and phone in any written correspondence. Stress the civil rights argument.
Here we go! This is the final stretch on this bill, people. One last push before summer vacation - We can do it ! Please forward this message to any adoption lists you may be on or to anyone you know who is interested in adoptee rights. Thank you so much!
"Dear Senator" letters to:
hmcdowell@legis.state.de.us, mhenry@legis.state.de.us, mbair@legis.state.de.us, lsorenson@legis.state.de.us, pblevins@legis.state.de.us, dsokola@legis.state.de.us, tsharp@legis.state.de.us, samick@legis.state.de.us, rhauge@legis.state.de.us, dreed@legis.state.de.us, dmcbride@legis.state.de.us, cbonini@legis.state.de.us, rvoshell@legis.state.de.us, gbunting@legis.state.de.us, ncook@legis.state.de.us
Senate Democratic Fax number:
302-739-6890
Senate Republican Fax number:
302-739-2773
Patricia M. Blevins (D)
|
Thomas P. Sharp (R)
|
Robert J. Voshell (D)
|
Myrna L. Bair (R)
|
Harris B. McDowell III (D)
(known to have said that if he adopted, he would just never tell the child and that would solve all the problems; if they want medical records they could have his) |
Margaret R. Henry (D)
|
Robert I. Marshall (D)
|
Richard A. Hauge (R)
(co-sponsor of HB 522) |
Liane M. Sorenson (R)
|
David P. Sokola (D)
|
Steven H. Amick (R)
(introduced the UAA in DE) |
Donna Reed (R)
|
Dori Connor (R)
(co-sponsor of HB 522) |
David B. McBride (D)
|
James T. Vaughn (D)
|
Nancy W. Cook (D)
|
Colin J. Bonini (Co-sponsor of HB 522) (R)
|
John C. Still, III (R)
|
Thurman Adams, Jr (D)
|
George H. Bunting (D)
|
Robert L. Venables (D)
|
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