Gray Davis on Civil Rights Former Democratic CA Governor

Register domestic partnerships and provide partner benefits

The Governor made health benefits available to domestic partners of state employees and permitted local governments to provide domestic partner benefits to their employees.

Allow adoptions by gay parents

Look for racial profiling data in traffic stops

Expanded definition of hate crimes to include gays

Enforced job & housing rights for disabled & minorities

• Strengthened on-the-job rights of Californians with disabilities.
• Banned housing discrimination based on income or financial status.
• Strengthened workers’ rights by prohibiting discrimination against employees and job applicants based on lawful conduct outside of employment.
• Required the Department of General Services (DGS) to develop a training program to improve compliance with all disability access requirements.
• Required businesses to display prices and signs summarizing California’s law prohibiting gender discrimination in fee-based services.
• Created a civil rights internet site, administered by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing which is responsible for accepting, investigating, conciliating, and litigating complaints of discrimination in housing, employment and bias-related hate violence.

Supported legal benefits for gay & lesbian partnerships

The Governor signed landmark legislation in 2001 strengthening the rights, responsibilities and benefits of registered domestic partners. Those include:
• The right to visit an ill or injured partner in a hospital or health facility.
• The right to make medical decisions on behalf of a seriously ill or incapacitated partner.
• The right to use sick leave to care for an ill partner or the child of a partner.
• The right to file a disability claim on behalf of a seriously ill partner.
• The right to act as a conservator on behalf of an incapacitated partner.
• The right to adopt a partner’s child using the step-parent adoption process.
• The right to administer a partner’s estate.
• The right to use the statutory will form to bequeath property to a partner.
• The right to relocate with a partner without losing unemployment benefits.
• The right to sue for wrongful death and seek damages for negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Support flag burning amendment; oppose gay marriage

Support principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment.

In 1976 the National Governors Association expressed support for ratification and implementation of the Equal Rights Amendment, which would constitutionally guarantee full citizenship rights and opportunities for women. In 1982 the drive for ratification fell short, and efforts to initiate the amendatory process were taken.

The National Governors Association reaffirms its support for the principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment, i.e., that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on the basis of gender.