Banning discrimination
This week, the Obama administration explicitly banned discrimination based on gender identity in all federal jobs. Gender identity was added to the equal opportunity notices on www.usajobs.gov, which was a bigger victory than advocates were anticipating from the administration.
Democracy
In a drive to register students to vote before January’s special election, the ASUO registered 3,497 voters since the beginning of fall term, including 1,000 this week. Statewide, the coalition led by the Oregon Student Association registered 14,271. If Measures 66 and 67 pass in the special election, it will mean hundreds of millions of dollars salvaged for higher education.
EPD
Police Chief Pete Kerns let off Taser-happy Officer Judd Warden again this week. Warden Tasered a non-English-speaking Chinese student after police were called to investigate alleged trespassing in an empty apartment. Warden stunned the student, who had been sleeping and did not answer his commands. Eugene Police Auditor Mark Gissiner said he didn’t think the student posed a credible threat to Warden.
Another setback for marriage equality
The New Jersey Senate voted down a gay marriage bill Thursday, ensuring it will be a long time before the Garden State marries gay couples. Outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine said he would sign a gay marriage bill; Gov.-elect Chris Christie said he would veto it. It doesn’t matter much, since only 14 senators supported the bill that needed 21 votes to pass.
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