The Club's January monthly meeting was a series of fresh starts: a new location, a new time, a new format, and new officers.  As reported last month, because of scheduling problems at our old location (Boulevard Woodgrill), we have moved our meetings to the lower level of the Rhodeside Grill at 1836 Wilson Blvd., in Arlington.  Meetings are now held on the second Tuesday of the month rather than the third Tuesday. 
     In addition, we are now structuring our gatherings to allow for dinner during the meeting.  Members can order before the meeting and then be served during a short intermission, which will allow the food service to take place without disrupting the meeting and members to get home  much earlier.  A server is available downstairs to take food and drink orders, and that will allow for more socializing in a quieter area.
     The most important business of the meeting was the election of new officers for 2007.  They include:
            President: Scott McCoy
            Vice President and Political Director:  
             David Lampo 
            Club Treasurer: Steve McLendon
            PAC Treasurer: Greg Davis
            Secretary: Rebecca Maestri
            Membership Director: Carl Jackson
            Social Director: Daniel Gri
            External Communications Director:
             Rebecca Maestri (interim)
            Internal Communications Director:
             Larry Yontz                                                            
            PAC Committee: Gene Lawson, Greg
             Davis, and George Stickles                                      

     In addition, Greg Davis gave his annual fiscal report, the net result of which will be a renewed effort to increase membership and coordinate membership renewal dates.  During the coming year, current members may get renewal notices at an unfamiliar time of year, and we ask your indulgence as we move to concentrate efforts in the spring, rather than all year long.  We also encourage members to invite a friend to one of our meetings to help us grow and expand our membership.

     On January 17, Log Cabin Republicans of Virginia, in cooperation with Equality Virginia and other gay and lesbian organizations, co-sponsored a day of out-reach efforts to elected officials in Richmond.  Over 250 citizens from around the state joined in this effort, discussing with legislators issues important to the gay and lesbian communities.

     Examples of legislation pending in Virginia this year include: 1) HB 1727, an attempt to restrict gay/straight alliances in high schools, 2) SB 820 and HB 2550, a proposed law (vs. the Executive Order now in place) to bar employment discrimination based on sexual orientation for state workers, 3) SB 1242, a bill to allow local governments to extend health insurance coverage to domestic partners of covered employees, 4) HB 2253 and HB 2598, bills to permit local jurisdictions (Richmond City and Fairfax County) the power to add "sexual orientation" to their local non-discrimination ordinances and policies, 5) HB 2730, a bill that would require hospitals to develop regulations allowing patients to designate any person as next of kin for visitation purposes, and 6) HJ 678 and HJ 721, resolutions to modify or repeal last year's "marriage"amendment to Virginia's Bill of Rights.   All of these bills are consistent with Republican principles of equality of rights under the law and local control, and we brought that message to as many Republicans as possible.

     Lobby Day has evolved into a vital opportunity to remind legislators that they represent all the people, and that we, as individuals and as a group, oppose government discrimination in all its forms.  Lobby Day is also an opportunity to thank legislators who support us and to show them that we are standing up for traditional Republican principles of equality and limited government.  The key to increasing our Club's visibility and influence is the ability to find common ground with as many Republican legislators as we can. 

     Proponents of the law argued that it was an attempt to involve parents in their children's lives by requiring parental consent to "opt in" to any club or organization.  It was even argued in committee that students with failing grades might over extend themselves and harm their grades by membership in the chess club or the ski club!    Whether opponents voted "no" because parental inertia or inaction could prevent student involvement in school activities, whether they saw it as a mean-spirited attempt to isolate students searching for their sexual identity, or whether they simply decided that the best government is the least government, we applaud their votes and the defeat of this attempt to meddle in local affairs.

     Unfortunately, a revised version of this bill, which would mandate that local schools develop an “opt-out” program that would force school districts to inform parents of all activities their child is involved with so that they can veto that involvement if they so choose was approved in committee with only one dissenting vote.  While certainly a big improvement over the original bill, it still represents a repudiation of local control and yet another mandate on local schools, and we urge legislators of both parties to vote no.

     We also urge everyone to contact their legislators right away in support of SB 820 and HB 2550, which would prohibit discrimination in state employment on the basis of sexual orientation (along with 16 other protected categories).   There is no place in this Commonwealth for discrimination by any state agency and office, and such protection should be codifed in state law.