ACLU and NAACP, Anchorage Branch File Friend of the Court Brief in Alaska’s Marriage Equality Suit8/29/2014 For Immediate Release: August 29, 2014
Anchorage, Alaska – The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the NAACP, Anchorage Branch filed a friend of the court brief today in Hamby v. Parnell, the federal lawsuit that seeks to end Alaska’s ban on equal marriage. A copy of their brief is at www.acluak.org. “Even though we cherish equality and freedom in the Last Frontier, Alaska was the first state to adopt a constitutional ban on equal marriage,” said Joshua A. Decker, executive director of the ACLU of Alaska. “With our friend of the court brief today, we explained why this discrimination is unconstitutional as well as un-American and un-Alaskan.” The Hamby plaintiffs are five couples who are challenging Alaska’s equal marriage ban in federal court. Their attorneys, Allison Mendel, Caitlin Shortell, and Heather Gardner, are filing a motion for summary judgment today. “All loving and committed couples deserve the recognition and the peace of mind that comes with the protections only marriage can provide,” said Amanda C. Goad, staff attorney with the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Project. “More than 40% of Americans now live in states with marriage equality; our brief explains why all families should have access to this fundamental right.” Since last year’s ACLU victory in United States v. Windsor, where the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act, more than 35 courts have ruled in favor of marriage equality for same-sex couples. “The NAACP is committed to the equality of everyone and ending discrimination throughout Alaska and the United States. Discrimination based on who you love is just as wrong as discrimination based on the color of your skin,” said Kevin D. McGee, first vice president and political action chair of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Anchorage Branch. Judge Timothy M. Burgess will hear oral argument on the plaintiffs’ motion in courtroom 1 of the Anchorage federal court at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 10, 2014. # # #
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Sullivan's Plan Sacrifices Military Families to Financial Criminals Sullivan would eliminate Office of Service Member Affairs and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ANCHORAGE: At the United for Liberty campaign debate, Dan Sullivan said there was only one federal program or agency he would eliminate: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Sullivan's plan would eliminate the Office of Service Member Affairs and lay off Holly Petraeus, wife of General David Petraeus. The Office of Service Member Affairs educates service members about how to avoid financial scams and it cracks down on financial criminals who target the military.
"It is beyond outrageous that Dan Sullivan would eliminate consumer protections for military families," said Kevin McGee, a veteran and 1ST Vice President of the Anchorage NAACP. "Sullivan's proposal would let criminals off the hook and expose military families to predatory loans, hidden fees, and other financial crimes." The NAACP strongly supports the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's work, including Holly Petraeus' Office of Service Member Affairs. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich both voted to confirm the head of the agency so it can work to protect consumers. Their vote overcame Wall Street lobbyists who have worked relentlessly to gut consumer financial protections and restore the very abuses that caused the 2008 recession. The fate of the Office of Service Member Affairs is critical in Alaska, which has one of the highest concentration of service members in the country and the highest percentage of veterans. Moreover, African-Americans and Alaska Natives serve in the armed forces at a disproportionately high rate compared to the general population, so the Office of Service Member Affairs is important for Alaska's diverse service member population. Holly Petraeus already has visited Alaska as part of her work to boost service member financial literacy and crack down on financial criminals. ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2014, 9:00 AM Contact: Kevin D. McGee, (907) 441-2137 ANCHORAGE: The Anchorage NAACP is condemning Don Young's vote to block asylum for abused children and to block broader immigration reform. By siding with Tea Party xenophobes, Young cast votes that are the legislative equivalent of open and hateful discrimination against children of color, which is un-American. Young's obstructionism stands in stark contrast to Alaska's Senators' leadership, as both Murkowski and Begich have voted for comprehensive reform that would address both children in need of asylum as well as broader immigration challenges. "Don Young should follow Senators Murkowski's and Begich’s lead and support immigration reform that secures the border and protects vulnerable children from abuse. His votes--which echo his previous statements--have no place in a community as diverse as Alaska," said Kevin McGee of the Anchorage NAACP. Young voted for HR 5272, a bill passed by the House that would stop the federal government from processing children's asylum applications. As a result, children who were enslaved as prostitutes and escaped to the border would be returned to their home country, placing them at grave risk of further violence. Young also voted for HR 5230, a bill designed to speed up deportation of children, even at risk of placing their lives at risk. HR 5230 ignores the fact that President Obama already has increased deportation rates far above those seen under the previous administration. "With these two bills, Don Young is playing racial politics with the lives of children," said McGee. Legislation passed by the Senate with the support of Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich would address both the children's border crisis and broader immigration challenges. Murkowski also took time to visit the border to learn. ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2014, 9:00 AM Contact: Kevin D. McGee, (907) 441-2137 Anchorage: The Anchorage NAACP is condemning Dan Sullivan's veto of the Anchorage Assembly's AO 37 repeal. "This is just Dan Sullivan's latest assault on Anchorage's middle class," said NAACP 1st Vice President Kevin McGee. Dan Sullivan's top priority as mayor has been undermining Anchorage's middle class by attacking city unions. Sullivan had A.O. 37 drafted in secret, then rammed it through the Anchorage Assembly after shutting down public testimony. Several Assembly members who supported A.O. 37 lost their seats over popular opposition to the bill, including Cheryl Frasca and Adam Trombley. While ousting Sullivan's anti-middle class allies, more than 20,000 Anchorage residents signed to put repeal of A.O. 37 on the ballot, though Sullivan has attempted to delay that election after realizing his signature initiative will be repealed. With his most recent veto of the A.O. 37 repeal, Sullivan once again refuses to acknowledge the public's rejection of his anti-union, anti-middle class agenda. # # # |