Kansas Action Alert: Committee to vote Wednesday on "Religious Freedom" Bill
Fellow Kansans -
Yesterday (Monday), the House Federal and State Affairs Committee held a hearing on SB175, the bill that will allow taxpayer-supported university student groups to discriminate and exclude students from membership. The bill will also allow groups to form, claim "religion" as a shield, and use taxpayer-funded campus resources, including communications and direct funding, to broadcast their discriminatory views.
The backers of the bill - many of whom were flown in from out of state - repeatedly insisted that SB175 "merely preserves the status quo," somehow implying that exclusion and discrimination at Kansas universities is already the norm. It's not. Discrimination in participation has been banned by the Kansas University Board of Regents for many years now, and that ban is inclusive of sexual orientation. Some campuses have gone a step further and enjoined discrimination based on gender identity.
The anti-LGBT lobby has long declared that including sexual orientation and gender identity in the long list of Americans protected from discrimination is somehow a "special" right. Should SB175 pass, that "special right" will be given to groups claiming religion. Where every other campus group will still have to follow the rules regarding membership and participation, groups claiming religion will be able to ignore the participation and membership rules, yet still enjoy access to the same campus resources as those who follow them.
The committee will vote tomorrow morning, Wednesday, April 1, at 9am. Their vote will determine whether this bill is sent to the full House with a recommendation for passage. Please help us stop SB175! Call and email the representatives listed below - and yes, call and email their personal numbers and addresses! They provide those to the public because they want to hear from their constituents.
Together we can stop this - we can stop Kansas from becoming Indiana. Call now!
Provided by Equality Kansas.
The Gayly – March 31, 2015 @ 1:20pm.
Committee Chair Steve Brunk
Republican - District 85 (Wichita, Sedgwick County) (Map)
Personal Email: sbrunk@cox.net
Personal Phone: 316-744-2409
Capitol Office: 785 296-7645
Capitol Email:steve.brunk@house.ks.gov
Committee Vice-Chair Travis Couture-Lovelady
Republican - District 110 (Palco, Rooks County) (Map)
Personal Phone: 785 231-1620
Capitol Office: 785 296-4683
Capitol Email:travis.couture-lovelady@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @Travis_CL
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TravisforKansas
Representative Steven Becker
Republican - District 104 (Buhler, Reno County) (Map)
Personal Email: steveb@embarqmail.com
Personal Phone: 620 543-2297
Capitol Office: 785 296-7196
Capitol Email:steven.becker@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @repbecker
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeckerforHouse
Representative John Bradford
Republican - District 40 (Lansing, Leavenworth County) (Map)
Personal Email: jbrad125@gmail.com
Personal Phone: 913 683-0871
Capitol Office: 785 296-7653
Capitol Email:john.bradford@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @Brad125
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnBradfordForKansas
Representative Stephanie Clayton
Republican - District 19 (Overland Park, Johnson County) (Map)
Personal Email: stephaniesawyerclayton@gmail.com
Personal Phone: 913 205-4970
Capitol Office: 785 296-7655
Capitol Email:stephanie.clayton@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @SSCJoCoKs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clayton4kansas
Representative Susan Concannon
Republican - District 107 (Beloit, Mitchell County) (Map)
Personal Email: sconcannon@nckcn.com
Personal Phone: 785 738-8087
Capitol Office: 785 296-7677
Capitol Email:susan.concannon@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @ConcannonforKS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanConcannonForKS
Representative Bud Estes
Republican - District 119 (Dodge City, Ford County) (Map)
Personal Email: bud.estes@btiequip.com
Personal Phone: 620-371-6262
Capitol Office: 785-296-6287
Capitol Email:bud.estes@house.ks.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bud.estes.3
Representative John Ewy
Republican - District 117 (Jetmore, Hodgeman County) (Map)
Personal Email: johnewykansas@gmail.com
Personal Phone: 620 357-6417
Capitol Office: 785 296-7105
Capitol Email:john.ewy@house.ks.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnEwyKansas
Representative Lane Hemsley
Republican - District 56 (Topeka, Shawnee County) (Map)
Personal Email: lane.hemsley@house.ks.gov
Personal Phone: 785 817-7533
Capitol Office: 785-296-7460
Capitol Email:lane.hemsley@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @LaneHemsley
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HemsleyforHouse
Representative Broderick Henderson
Democrat - District 35 (Kansas City, Wyandotte County) (Map)
Personal Email: bhenderson@wycokck.org
Personal Phone: 913-342-2614
Capitol Office: 785 296-7697
Capitol Email:broderick.henderson@house.ks.gov
Representative Brett Hildabrand
Republican - District 17 (Shawnee, Johnson County) (Map)
Personal Email: hildabrand2010@gmail.com
Personal Phone: 913 449-6697
Capitol Office: 785 296-7659
Capitol Email:brett.hildabrand@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @brett4ks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brett4ks
Representative Don Hineman
Republican - District 118 (Dighton, Lane County) (Map)
Personal Email: dhineman@st-tel.net
Personal Phone: 620-397-2504
Capitol Office: 785 296-7636
Capitol Email:don.hineman@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @DonHineman
Representative Michael Houser
Republican - District 1 (Columbus, Cherokee County) (Map)
Personal Email: mhouser_2010@yahoo.com
Personal Phone: 620 704-3817
Capitol Office: 785 296-7679
Capitol Email:michael.houser@house.ks.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Houser-for-Kansas/441722105956564
Representative Dick Jones
Republican - District 52 (Topeka, Shawnee County) (Map)
Personal Email: seabeevet@hotmail.com
Personal Phone: 785 608-8227
Capitol Office: 785-296-7483
Capitol Email:dick.jones@house.ks.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DickJonesForKansas
Representative Nancy Lusk
Democrat - District 22 (Overland Park, Johnson County) (Map)
Personal Email: nancyluskforkansas@gmail.com
Personal Phone: 913 648-2616
Capitol Office: 785 296-7651
Capitol Email:nancy.lusk@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @NancyLusk
Representative Janice Pauls
Republican - District 102 (Hutchinson, Reno County) (Map)
Personal Email: janpauls@sbcglobal.net
Personal Phone: 620-663-8961
Capitol Office: 785 296-7657
Capitol Email:jan.pauls@house.ks.gov
Representative Marty Read
Republican - District 4 (Mound City, Linn County) (Map)
Personal Email: martyread@embarqmail.com
Personal Phone: 620 224-6495
Capitol Office: 785 296-7310
Capitol Email:marty.read@house.ks.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marty-Read/622520331100593
Representative Joseph Scapa
Republican - District 88 (Wichita, Sedgwick County) (Map)
Personal Phone: 316 619-0935
Capitol Office: 785-296-7682
Capitol Email:joseph.scapa@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @RepJosephScapa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joseph-Scapa-for-Kansas-House-of-Representatives/117234888287626
Representative Annie Tietze
Democrat - District 53 (Topeka, Shawnee County) (Map)
Personal Phone: 785-273-5296
Capitol Office: 785 296-7668
Capitol Email:annie.tietze@house.ks.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rep.Annie.Tietze
Representative James Todd
Republican - District 29 (Overland Park, Johnson County) (Map)
Personal Email: jameserictodd@gmail.com
Personal Phone: 913 568-8738
Capitol Office: 785 296-7695
Capitol Email:james.todd@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @Jameserictodd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/James-Todd/336080563100502
Representative Kristey Williams
Republican - District 77 (Augusta, Butler County) (Map)
Personal Email: kristeywilliams@yahoo.com
Personal Phone: 316 775-1440
Capitol Office: 785-296-3971
Capitol Email:kristey.williams@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @kristey4rep77
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristeywilliams4KSRep77
Representative John Wilson
Democrat - District 10 (Lawrence, Douglas County) (Map)
Personal Email: wilsonforkansas@gmail.com
Capitol Office: 785 296-7652
Capitol Email:john.wilson@house.ks.gov
Twitter: @wilsonforkansas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnwilsonforkansas
Representative Valdenia Winn
Democrat - District 34 (Kansas City, Wyandotte County) (Map)
Personal Email: vwinn@kckcc.edu
Personal Phone: 913-321-2620
Capitol Office: 785 296-7657
Capitol Email:valdenia.winn@house.ks.gov