The Free Speech Coalition (FSC), under the stewardship of Executive Director Pro Tem Kat Sunlove, this year mounted another successful Celebrate Free Speech Lobbying Days – the eighth year that adult industry professionals and friends have faced California’s legislators in their offices in order to promote the adult industry and its interests – and believe it or not, it’s actually getting easier.
Among this year’s group were performers Nina Hartley, Kaylani Lei, Alexis Fyre, Dave Cummings and Taliesin, but the one who attracted the most attention was Kick Ass Pictures’ contract player and gubernatorial candidate Mary Carey, who placed 10th out of 135 candidates in last fall’s recall election. Several legislative staffers wanted to pose for photos with Carey – and a number of sixth-grade school children on class trips at the Capitol recognized the actress as she walked through the halls and asked for her autograph, though it’s unknown if the familiarity was from their having followed the gubernatorial election, or from having peeked at their parents’ porn collections.
Also on Free Speech’s team were Joan Irvine, director of Adult Sites Against Child Pornography; Kathy Sisson and Darklady representing the Woodhull Freedom Foundation; FSC Board Chair Jeffrey Douglas, FSC Board President Nick Boyias and several other anti-censorship activists.
The FSC group only had one official issue this year: Assembly Bill (AB) 1894, the Access To Seized Records bill, which would allow business people whose records had been seized as part of an investigation to obtain, at their own expense, copies of those seized records necessary for the business to remain in business.
The bill, as AB 1438, passed both the Assembly and the Senate by unanimous vote in the fall of 2003, but was vetoed by Gov. Gray Davis practically on the eve of his leaving office after being recalled late last year, reportedly at the instigation of lobbyists for California’s district attorneys and some law enforcement agencies. This year, the bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman John Longville, went out of his way to respond to the law enforcement agencies’ concerns, and AB 1894 passed the Assembly on Friday with only one “no” vote. Longville is continuing to work with the bill’s critics to smooth its way through the Senate, and it’s expected that the bill will be signed into law later this year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Part of the reason the Coalition has been taking such an interest in the bill is that FSC has had the idea as part of its legislative agenda for more than five years, and only last year was able to find a legislative sponsor for the measure. The Coalition even remained as much in the background as possible as the bill made its way through the legislature last year, fearing that if it became known as a “porn industry bill,” that its fate was sealed. But after such organizations as the California Chambers of Commerce, the California Retailers Assn. and several other business groups announced their support, Free Speech was happy to publicly join the supporters.
But after the bill unanimously passed both state houses and only failed through the veto process, Assemblyman Longville solicited the industry’s support for its reintroduction, and it is now well-known that the industry, among many others, supports its passage.
But there was another, less official issue that the 19 FSC “lobbyists” – all, of course, are unofficial; simply industry members and friends supporting their industry – wanted to discuss with the pols: The recent HIV outbreak that’s caused a suspension of most productions during the talent quarantine period. FSC wanted to assure the legislators that industry personnel – specifically, AIM’s Dr. Sharon Mitchell – was on top of the problem, and that it could be handled within the industry without any reaction – or overreaction – from the legislature. Dr. Mitchell even flew up for FSC’s press conference Tuesday morning to explain in more detail what she and her organization have done. That press conference attracted several local TV and radio stations and newspapers.
The Free Speech group split up into five teams, which collectively met with nearly 100 legislators or their staffers over the course of the day, and dropped off the Coalition’s 2004 White Paper at the offices of several others. All contacts with the politicians were reported as at least cordial, with some staffers showing real interest in the FSC’s activities on behalf of the industry, and in the concerns of the industry at large.
Free Speech also sponsored a reception for legislators and staffers at the Virga’s Courtyard restaurant on Monday evening, and a post-lobbying get-together at the Sheraton Grand hotel in downtown Sacramento Tuesday evening after the lobbying had been completed.
