Tag Archives: Tom Ammiano

Yesterday a bill that would expand the rights of homeless people passed 7-2 in the California Assembly Judiciary Committee.  Sponsored by openly gay Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, the bill could supersede San Francisco’s famed/infamous ordinance which bans lying or sitting on public sidewalks. Under the measure, a person’s housing status would be added to the list of categories included in the …

NOTE 1: West Virginia LGBT delegate Jerry Brookover is a daily JMG reader. NOTE 2: Tom Ammiano was the first out public school teacher in California when the infamous Briggs Initiative sought to ban all homosexuals from being teachers. Ammiano founded No On Six (Briggs) with Harvey Milk and the initiative was defeated in 1978. After several terms on the …

California’s state Senate has approved a comprehensive anti-bullying law requiring schools to investigate the harassment of students. The bill passed in the state Assembly three months ago and Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign it. “Seth’s Law” is named for Seth Walsh, the 13 year-old California boy who hung himself in his backyard after being bullied for being gay. …

Revisionists charged with “protecting the legacy” of dead dead dead Jesse Helms are trying to recast the vile homophobe as a champion of people with AIDS. Unsurprisingly, activists are furious. Efforts to lift the [HIV travel] ban were blocked by a 1993 Congressional amendment introduced by Senator Jesse Helms, Republican of North Carolina. Those who fought the law say Mr. …

GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger received a hostile reception on Wednesday when he dropped to at a San Francisco Democratic Party fundraiser, where openly gay state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano yelled for the governator to “kiss his gay ass.” Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown is lambasting what he calls “highly inappropriate” behavior by San Francisco Democrats Wednesday who greeted Gov. Arnold …

Openly gay California legislator Tom Ammiano’s bid to legalize and tax marijuana could come to the ballot in 2010. Right now 56% of voters in California favor legalization.

Back in February, openly gay California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano proposed legalizing the sale of marijuana, a move tax experts predicted would bring in an annual $1B in desperately needed tax revenues. The tax experts were wrong. California tax officials have found that a state bill to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol would generate nearly $1.4 billion in revenue. A …

Openly gay California state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-SF) has introduced a bill which would make California the first state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. The proposal would regulate marijuana like alcohol, with people over 21 years old allowed to grow, buy, sell and possess cannabis – all of which is barred by federal law. Ammiano, a Democrat in …

To howls of protest across the wingnut blogosphere and talk radio, today the city of San Francisco began issuing photo ID cards to all residents who can provide proof of living in the city, regardless of their legal immigration status. The cards, also available in New Haven, Conn., and being considered in other cities, have sparked fury among advocates of …