Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 July 2001 — Page 2

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

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By Hazel Trice Edney NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA)—In a victory for the newly empowered Senate Democrats, the U. S. Senate passed the Patient’s Bill of Rights last week in a 59-36 vote. Lead-sponsored by Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the bill was the first major legislation revived since the Democrats assumed power after the defection of Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) from Republican to Independent last month. The bill, now to be considered by the Republican-dominated House, would give increased authority for patients to sue insurers for decisions that lead to injury or death. It would also make it easier for patients to get coverage in the nearest emergency room and direct access to medical specialists. But the bill does not improve access to insurance or health care for 44 million uninsured Americans. That includes nearly onefifth of all Black people and almost a third of all Hispanics, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. President Bush, who had threatened a veto, praised the senators for making some compromises, but expressed concerns the bill could drive up costs of health care because of more lawsuits. Charitable choice stalled by civil rights concerns President Bush’s faith-based initiative, aiming to increase opportunities for government social services through faithbased institutions, has stalled

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concerns over possible civil rights lawsuits. ’ The problem with the bill, officialiy titled the “Community Solutions Act,” is a component dubbed “Charitable Choice,” which allows religious institutions to legally discriminate against potential employees whose beliefs may not be in sync. “Charitable Choice represents an historic reversal of decades of progress in civil rights enforcement,” said Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), testifying before the Ways and Means Committee a week before its bi-partisan decision to postpone passage of the bill. However, its chief sponsor, Rep. J.C. Watts, Jr. (R.-Okla.), holds out hope, pointing to the House Judiciary Committee’s 205 passage of the bill as being “one big step closer” towards a vote on the House floor. Watts is the only Black Republican in Congress. The bill is co-sponsored by House Democrat Tony P. Hall of Ohio, who is White. Congressional Black Caucus escalates call for AIDS emergency The Congressional Black Caucus has hinted at an escalated form of protest in order to win President Bush’s support for the declaration of a state of emergency because of the dramatic increase of AIDS and HIV infections in the Black community. Rep. Donna M. Christensen (D-V.I.), leading a press conference last week, said the CBC “may be forced to consider” escalated protests to get the attention of Bush, who has not answered the CBC call. AIDS is the leading killer of Black men ages 18-44. The CBC first asked for the emergency declaration during its AIDS/HIV hearing two weeks ago. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, testifying at the hearing, conceded the disease has reached epidemic rates in America’s Black community. But he made no promises for a state of emergency, which the CBC hopes would increase Bush’s allocation

of $358 million for AIDS education and prevention in the Black community to $540 million. Christensen, a medical doctor who chairs the CBC’s health initiative, is also concerned the president is pulling AIDS education funding from other needed sources, such as prevention of diabetes and hyperten-

sion.

Democrats rock with Robert Flack, Four tops Thousands of Democrats stood to their feet, applauding and cheering wildly for former President Bill Clinton as he strode onto the stage at a Constitution Hall fund-raising concert last week. “I take it you all are still proud to be Democrats,” were the first words from the former president. The concert was in honor of former vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Ct.), who received a much quieter welcome. His running mate, former Vice President A1 Gore, was barely mentioned at all. “We’re here to have fun,” Clinton said, instructing the audience on how not to criticize the Bush administration. “Just say, ‘Here’s what I believe. Here’s what they believe. We both honestly believe this. Our way works better,”’ he said, as the crowd laughed and applauded. . Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe hosted the event. “You have my word. We’re going to show George Bush the door in 2004!” he said to more cheers from the audience, ready to party with Robert Flack and the Four Tops. The event, commemorating the^Othiaonivetsary.ofithe Democratic Business Council, . raised $2 million, McAuliffe

said.

White House race committee starts meeting The White House committee that was formed by President Bush to discuss racial issues after he closed the “One America” office, established by President Clinton, has begun meeting. The committee, which consists of White House staffers, held two meetings last month, according to a White House insider who declined to elaborate on the topics discussed so far. NAACP to decide on Mississippi boycott NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond says the national civil rights organization will likely decide at its annual convention in New Orleans next week whether it will wage a South Carolina-styled economic boycott against Mississippi. Mississippi has riled justice advocates because it still flies a state flag containing the emblem of the “stars and bars,” the race hate symbol of the slave-support-ing Confederacy. . However, Bond stressed the NAACP engages in a “deliberative process” before it starts a boycott. “I think it probably will come up because some of our Mississippi members want further action. .Some say, let’s move on and do something else. But, it’s still an alive issue among us.” Mississippi residents voted 21 on April 17 to keep the flag as its official emblem, but voter turnout overall was dismal, especially among AfricanAmericans. Protestors, including City Councilman Kenneth I. Stokes of Jackson, continue to push for the flag’s removal. South Carolina removed its Confederate flag from atop its State Capitol last summer in response to pressure from an NAACP economic boycott. Election reformers hash it out in Senate hearing A heated hearing of the Senate Rules and Administration Comminee aired clashing views on how to reform America’s

electoral system. Committee Chair Sen. Chris • Dodd (D-Conn.), co-sponsored a bill with Rep. John Conyers Jr. ’■ (D-Mich.) and ranking Republican Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), ’ co-sponsoring with Tom Davis (R-Va.) pointed to differences in their separate bills aimed to curt election ills. ; Both bills would provide money for states to get new voting machines and train poll '' workers. But, the Dodd-Conyers bill, backed by the Black Caucus', would require states to allow voters to study the ballot before election day, that all polls provide equal access regardless • of handicaps or languages and provisional voting to assure their vote is counted. The McConnelK Davis bill excludes these mea- •' sures because Republicans view' them as infringements upon v state’s rights. During strong contention, Mary Frances Berry, the Democratic chair of the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights, stuck by the commission ’ s report that the .. Florida election disenfranchised' Black people 10 times more j often than Whites. Commissioner Abigail Themstrom, a Republi- j can who issued a dissenting .< report, said the commission’s report relied on a flawed statistical analysis. Clinton tells media, ‘keep hammering’ Former President Bill Clintort told a group of television and ' print journalists to “keep ham- ' mering” at the race issue becausfe “just because you’re talking doesn’t mean they’re listening.” Speaking at a forum sponsored by the The Joan Shorenstein Centeum.tJie Press, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard .,, University John F. Kennedy School of Government, CHhtoh *• told the media “it is important” to deal with race issues, such as , ■ workplace diversity, racial profiling and mandatory minimum sentences, all of which . disproportionately affect Black people. The forum featured a panel . discussion that included ABC anchor Carole Simpson, New -■ York Times Deputy Managing . Editor Gerald Boyd, and “America’s Black Forum” commentator Deborah Mathis. Marvin Kalb, a former CBS , and NBC news correspondent , who is now executive director of the D.C. office of the Shorenstejn Center, said he was inspired to hold the forum because “race is, the unfinished business of \ American democracy and something that is everybody’s , business.”

CBC will stay at 38—for now Hopes of the 38-member Congressional Black Caucus to \ increase its membership to 39 were dashed temporarily when •. Virginia State Sen. L. Louise •. Lucas (D-Portsmouth), who is •>; Black, lost a special House s; election to former Virginia ..J Republican Chairman J. Randy ,; Forbes (R-Chesapeake) last „• month. Democratic leaders say ,, they are hoping to increase the number of African-Americans ( ; and Democrats in both the House and the Senate in the 2002 j elections. Forbes’ win increase^ . the party’s count in the House to, 222 seats. The Democrats hold ( . 210. There are two independents, and a vacancy. There are no Black senators. The two vied for the seat left , by the late Norman Sisisky, a moderate Democrat, who represented Virginia’s 4th District, for 19 years. The normally Demo- * cratic-leaning district has a 39 Tpercent Black constituency. Correction The correct address for Body Moments Day Spa & Hair Salon is 2825 E. 56th St. Suite 200; Indinapolis, IN 46220. Telephone number 317-722-1197. Incorrect information was published in the June 29 edition of The Recorder.