Yesterday, the Great State of California took the first step to recognize the life and work of former San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk by passing a bill declaring Harvey Milk Day in California by a vote of 24-14 in the state senate. A similar bill, AB 2567, passed both the house and senate last year, but was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger, who said "it would be more appropriate to honor Milk on a local level."
Unsurprisingly, the bill passed a second time with strong support. However, it's notable that one of the former opponents of the bill, Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria), flipped his vote from nay to yea.
Maldonado credited testimony before the Senate Education Committee with changing his mind. As McClatchy reports,
That testimony happened to come from a young gay man, Dustin Lance Black, who won an Academy Award this year for his screenplay of the movie "Milk."
Maldonado who claims he rarely is swayed by testimony said he:
empathized with Black, as he described growing up in a Mormon family in Texas and California and feeling emotional turmoil and isolation because of anti-gay sentiment.
Although, Maldonado now supports the bill, his support is less for Milk's role in the Gay Rights Movement and more for his work as "a dedicated public servant."
"He was murdered," Maldonado said. "To me, he was a man who was a capitalist, and an entrepreneur who happened to be gay."
Of course, Maldonado is already receiving heat from conservatives for his willingness to recognize Milk's accomplishments. You don't need to be told that it's important to support conservatives that are willing to listen to rational testimony, review past decisions, and come to new conclusions based on the evidence. There's far too few Republicans that would even attempt to take the step that Maldonado took yesterday. Although he may not be perfect on a lot of issues, if you live in California, give his office a call and let him know that you recognize his change of heart and respect him for it. His homepage with contact information is located at http://cssrc.us/...
And while you're at it, you may want to call the Governor's office to let him know you expect him to sign the bill when it reaches his desk this summer. Tell him Harvey sent you. http://gov.ca.gov/
Update #1: Cooper888 posted on this yesterday as well and offers a link to a petition for Gov. Schwarzenegger. Go and sign it! Equality California Petition
-Turkey