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SaveCalifornia.com
FoundedSeptember 11, 1999 (1999-09-11)[1]
FounderRandy Thomasson
TypePublic charity 501(c)(3)
68-0530784 (EIN)
Location
OwnerCampaign for Children and Families
Key people
Randy Thomasson, President
Larry Bowler, Chairman
Revenue
$195,203 (2010)[2]
Websitesavecalifornia.com

SaveCalifornia.com is an American conservative activist group founded in 1999 by Randy Thomasson as part of Campaign for Children and Families (CCF).[3] The organization is active in influencing public policy on various social issues, and has opposed California's FAIR Education Act.[4]

History and issues

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Save California.com is a project of Campaign for Children and Families, a California-based advocacy non-profit organization[5] formed in 1999 by Randy Thomasson. The organization has a stated goal of "defending and representing the values of parents, grandparents and concerned citizens who want what's best for this generation and future generations."[3] Thomasson has been involved in influencing social and fiscal policies in government since 1994, through various media outlets.[6] He also founded Campaign for California Families,[7] a non-profit organization which sought to defend Proposition 22 and Proposition 8 against constitutional challenges in the courts.[8][9]

Lobbying activities

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The organization supported California's Proposition 8[10][11] and opposed a state bill which would allow two people, including same-sex couples, who jointly owned a home to avoid having their property tax reassessed and raised when one of them dies.[12] Following Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling overturning California's same-sex marriage ban in 2010, sending the landmark case to the US Supreme Court, SaveCalifornia.com reacted with a statement:[13]

Natural marriage, voter rights, the Constitution, and our republic called the United States of America have all been dealt a terrible blow. Judge Walker has ignored the written words of the Constitution, which he swore to support and defend and be impartially faithful to, and has instead imposed his own homosexual agenda upon the voters, the parents, and the children of California. This is a blatantly unconstitutional ruling because marriage isn't in the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution guarantees that state policies be by the people, not by the judges, and also supports states' rights, thus making marriage a state jurisdiction.

SaveCalifornia.com also lobbied against California's FAIR Education Act, using social media to help carry its message to the public.[5] In 2011, Thomasson described the bill as "Sexual brainwashing" and called for "parents to remove their children from the government school system, and get them into the safe havens of church schooling and home schooling." After the California Assembly passed the bill by a 49-to-25 vote,[4] SaveCalifornia.com urged governor Jerry Brown to veto the bill as "unneeded, unwanted and un-affordable".[14]

In 2009, after President Obama posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom to gay rights activist Harvey Milk, SaveCalifornia.com held a press conference in which Thomasson argued that Milk was unfit for the nation's highest civilian honor. Thomasson told MSNBC and CBS that the president had made "a mistake" by honoring Milk.[15] The organization also led opposition against Harvey Milk Day, referring to Milk as a "sexual predator",[16] citing the Randy Shilts book, The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk.[17]

Hate group listing

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In March 2012, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) added SaveCalifornia.com to its list of anti-gay hate groups.[18] According to SPLC director Heidi Beirich, "In order to make the list as an anti-gay group, the group has to lie, defame or spread false propaganda about the LGBT community ... In this case, language that depicts LGBT people as predatory, attempting to convert children and as having unhealthy lifestyles—all of those things—are what got him on the list." Beirich also stated that such language about an entire group "increases the likelihood of hate crimes being directed at that group."[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Domain Registration". Network Solutions. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  2. ^ "Nonprofit Report for Campaign for Children and Families". GuideStar. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "About". SaveCalifornia. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  4. ^ a b Khadaroo, Stacy Teicher (July 7, 2011). "Could California Lead Nation in Teaching of Gay History in Schools?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Mcgreevy, Patrick (July 15, 2011). "California to require teaching of gay contributions". The Chronicle. Willimantic, CT. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  6. ^ "Randy Thomasson Bio". Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  7. ^ "Lobbyist To Address Republican Group". San Ramon Valley Times. San Ramon Valley, CA. February 11, 2001. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  8. ^ Bob Egelko (October 16, 2004). "Gay-nuptials foes win right to defend state law". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  9. ^ Bob Egelko (August 19, 2009). "Judge sets January trial for Prop. 8 lawsuit". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  10. ^ Ferriss, Susan; Van Oot, Torey (September 25, 2009). "Same-sex marriage ban is targeted". Sacramento Bee. Sacrament, CA. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  11. ^ Castro, Tony (August 5, 2010). "Proposition 8 Deemed Unconstitutional". Daily News of Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  12. ^ Roja, Aurelio (January 19, 2009). "Proposition 8 Aftermath / Issue is before high court - Bills keep up gay rights push". Sacramento Bee. Sacrament, CA. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  13. ^ "Judge overturns Calif. gay marriage ban". MSNBC. August 5, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  14. ^ Cathy Lynn, Grossman (July 13, 2011). "California gay 'role model' bill sparks battle". USA Today. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  15. ^ Sharp, Sonja (August 12, 2009). "Harvey Milk's Medal of Freedom Sparks Protest—In San Francisco". Mother Jones. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  16. ^ Richardson, Valerie (October 13, 2009). "Schwarzenegger inks bills - promoted by gay activists - Recognizes domestic partnerships, day for Milk". The Washington Times. Washington, D.C. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  17. ^ "'Harvey Milk Gay Day' is driving more parents out of government schools". May 22, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  18. ^ "Active Anti-Gay Groups". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  19. ^ Munger, Kel. "Real haters of Sacramento Southern Poverty Law Center calls out Save California for rhetoric". Sacramento News & Review. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
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