8A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday,

California
governor
signs gay
rights bill
By Barbara Ortutay
Daily Bruin
LOS ANGELES (U-WIRE) - A
two-decade stalemate between
California's gay, lesbian and bisexual
population and the governor's office
ended when Gov. Gray Davis signed
three civil rights bills into law
Saturday.
The new laws deal with housing and
employment discrimination, domestic
partnerships and school harassment
and discrimination. The bills go into
effect Jan. 1, 2000.
Davis also signed a law adding gen-
der, sexual orientation and disability to
existing hate crimes legislation.
Davis' support of the bills has been
hailed as a landmark victory for the
gay and lesbian community in
California.
"Any one of the three bills would
have been great," said Rob Hennig,
UCLA professor of political science
and board co-chair of the California
Alliance for Pride and Equality. "It's
the totality of what happened that
makes it extraordinary"
CAPE is an organization focusing on
advancing lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender rights in California.
"It's the first time we have the
opportunity to have a serious look at
our issues in the governor's office
without a knee-jerk reaction, or, better
yet, rejection," said Kay Ostberg,
executive director of CAPE. "Wilson
held our community back time and
time again."
AB 1001, which places existing laws
prohibiting employment and housing
discrimination under the jurisdiction of
the Fair Employment and Housing Act,
California's primary civil rights law,
was first introduced in 1979.
"This law represents not only a
change in legislation but a mindset
change," Ostberg said. -
She added that placing sexual orien-
tation discrimination under the Fair
Employment and Housing Act puts
institutional discrimination against
gays and lesbians in the same category
as racial discrimination.
Opposition to AB 1001 came mostly
from conservative religious organiza-
tions. Stating that sexual orientation is
a person's choice, Lou Sheldon, chair
of the Traditional Values Coalition, said
placing it in the same category as race
and ethnicity is inconsistent.

October 7, 1999
Pennsylvania state faculty threaten strike

By Usa Grzyboski
The Pitt News
PITTSBURGH (L-WIRL) - Students attending
the 14 public universities in the Pennsylvania State
System of Higher Education may soon find them-
selves without classes to attend or homework to
complete.
The possibility comes in the wake of a union
strike authorization vote last week, in which more
than 90 percent of the state system's 5,500 faculty
participated, with 92.4 percent casting their ballots
in favor of striking.
The system includes such schools as Slippery
Rock University, Indiana University of
Pennsylvania, Shippensburg University and
Temple. Pitt is not a member of the system.
Faculty members teaching in the public universi-

ties have been ithout a contract since mid-March.
Talks between the Association of Pennsylvania
State College and universitv Faculties, the union
representing the state system professors, and man-
agement at the 14 state-owned universities have
been ongoing.
The most recent series of talks ended on
Saturday with neither side coming to an agreement
on an assortment of issues. The two sides are
expected to return to the bargaining table today at 4
p.m. in Harrisburg, Pa. in an attempt to find com-
mon ground.
The union has had two other strike authorization
votes, in 1985 and in 1990. If the union decided to
strike, it would be the first time in thc26-year his-
tory of the State System of Higher Education.
People on both sides of the debate remain wary

about the possibility of cooperation and reconcilia-
tion.
Union president William Fulmer accused the
state of allocating S250,000 to run a smear cam-
paign against the faculty members involved in the
bargaining. He said the campaign referred to the
college professors as greedy men and women who
put their needs ahead of those of their students.
"This is money that could have updated comput-
er labs in each of the 14 universities:" Fulmer said.
While both sides continue to debate a variety of
issues involving such things as health care benefits,
sick leave and distance education via the Internet,
the issue of prominent importance remains salary
hikes.
The union is seeking a 26 percent salary increase
during the next three years, in an effort to bring

members' salaries up to par with other public uni-
versity professor salaries in the nation. The state has
a three-year, 20.5 percent increase offer on the table.
;According to State System of Higher Education
figures, the average nine-month salary in 1998 for
a full professor teaching at one of the universities
was $59,428. This number falls below the 1997-98
U.S. Department of Education average of $63,74
for a full professor teaching at a public university i
Pennsylvania.
The state system average also falls below those
of surrounding states. According to the 1997-98
U.S. Department of Education statistics, New
Jersey, Ohio, Maryland and Indiana surpassed the
median full professor salary at the 14 state-owne4,
universities with salaries of $91,022, $73,885,
$79,161 and $72,159, respectively.

Care bear stare

NMU alum files
suit for athletic cuts

AP PHOTO
A 6 1/2-week-old panda cub is examined at the San Diego Zoo's Pacific Bell Foundation Giant Panda Research Station
yesterday. The female cub, in excellent health, weighs almost five pounds, and is cared for by her mother.

By Iliana Umun
Daily Lobo
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (U-WIRE)
- Community members who fought to
reinstate the three University of New
Mexico men's sports teams that were
cut last spring filed a civil rights com-
plaint with the U.S. Department of
Education against the university Sept.
27.
"We knew what the university did
was wrong and tried to find a better
solution, but this was the only
choice we had," said Jim Stevens, a
UNM alumn. Stevens and UNM
Prof. Fred Hashimoto filed the com-
plaint.
They allege the university opted to
cut the men's gymnastics, swimming
and wrestling programs to meet Title IX
equity standards.
Title IX is a component of the 1968
Civil Rights Act that states no person,
shall be denied access, benefits or the
opportunity to participate in any educa-
tional program or activity based on gen-
der at any institution receiving federal
funding.
"UNM is going along with a nation-
al trend of addition by subtraction,"
Stevens said. "They cut men's teams to
inflate the women's percentage in
sports in relation to men's."
Stevens said the sports were cut to
make UNM Title IX compliant.
"The university always said the
teams were cut for financial reasons,"
Stevens said.
"We didn't feel good about that, did
some investigating and found some
problems with that. The key is the part
of Title IX that says 'no person' and
does not just protect women. The men
who were in this sport are people cov-
ered by that" he said

The group found a corporate sponsor
who would support the teams with ait
endowment, Stevens said.
He said the group presented the offer
to NMU President Bill Gordon an
Julie Weaks, the interim vice presiden
of business and finance.
A copy of the memorandum
Weaks wrote in response to the pro-
posal was submitted with the com-
plaint and states, "The Athletics
Department and the University of,
New Mexico do not believe that it is
in the best interests of achieving the
long-term goals of the athletic
department to undertake such an
effort. Stevens said UNM coul
afford to keep cut sports.
"Look at the new athletics' logo," he
said. "There's $30,000 in revenue down
the drain. We didn't need that. Look at
the stadium expansion project. Billions
have been allocated for that and they
can't even consistently fill the stadium
now."
Rodger Murphey, a spokesperson for
the U.S. Department of Education, said
claims like the one filed are not unus
al. He said he is still reviewing the.
claim.
"What we do here is make sure it's
under our jurisdiction and make sure
we are not duplicating efforts by pursu-
ing it," he said. "We also review what
has been submitted and then decide
whether to launch a formal investiga-
tion. We'll make that decision in about
two weeks.:
University Counsel Nick Estes is th*
only university official authorized to
discuss the claim.
He said he feels uncomfortable com-
menting before the Department of
Education officially notifies him about
the complaint.

FIJI
Continued from Page 1A
incoming pledge class remained loyal to
the fraternity and were sticking with FIJI
throughout the entire process, Reddy
said.
Pledges were informed about the
potential for a permanent suspension
but 23 out of the 24 pledges still want to
join FIJI, Callon said.
Pledges are being accepted into the
fraternity, he said, but if the suspension
holds before initiation they will not
become FIJI members.
In the next week and a half the
headquarter's board will meet to dis-
cuss the fraternity chapter's request,
Reddy said.
"At this point we are listening and

following everything they tell us to do,"
Reddy said.
Last week representatives from
the fraternity's international head-
quarter in Lexington, Ky., came to
campus to interview potential
pledge members and explain the fra-
ternitv's situation.
The representative explained the
history of the situation and the vari-
ous options that were still open to
pledges, said LSA first-year student
Cassio Dacunha, one of the 23
pledges.
When meeting with the headquarter's
representative pledges "tried to instill in
him that we were serious about this and
we are the future of FIJI," said LSA
first-year student Corey Miller, a FIJI
pledge.

MSU
Continued from Page 1A
MSU officials said they hope emo-
tions don't erupt into rioting, but such
conduct is not expected.
"Behavior has been very good this
fall," Denbow said.
Collias added that since the March
riot, she has noticed increased police
presence where she lives on Charles
Street, just off of Grand River Avenue.
In order to identify individuals
involved in the riot in March, the East
Lansing Police Department posted pho-
tos from the incident on the Internet.
Muhn said through the Website,
ELPD officials identified and sought
charges against about 33 percent of the
individuals whose photos were posted.

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