Wednesday, May 29, 2013

8.29.13 - Headlines: 2 US officials shot in Caracas strip club - CNN 28/05/13 23:39 from World News Review | NYC Puerto Rican community furious over beer log - Wall Street Journal | The Simple Truth: Puerto Rico Is A Territory, “Commonwealth” Is An Empty Label - 5/29/2013 - Puerto Rico Report

12:01 PM 5/29/2013




9:30 AM 5/29/2013




Senator Ramon Luis Nieves is the main driver of the Project 238 in the Senate.(Archive)
By Antonio Gómez / antonio.gomez @ gfrmedia.com
The Senate this afternoon concur with amendments made by the House of Representatives to Senate Bill 238, to prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and legislative reform. Also, vote in favor of House Bill 488, to extend the protection of Act 54 of domestic violence to all types of couples.
The information forward the main driver of the Project 238 in the Senate, Senator Ramon Luis Nieves, the end of the caucus held by the delegation of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) in the Senate.
In voting for the most popular of the Senate, the controversial measures could be converted into law today by Governor Alejandro García Padilla.
The three proposals are part of the campaign promises of the PPD.

______________________________________________

Comunidad LGBTT lanza su propia red social

Social Rainbow tiene como propósito unir a la comunidad entera

LGBT community launches its own social network

May 28, 2013 - News - 
Rainbow Social aims to unite the entire community

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Transgender (LGBT) in Puerto Rico have its own space on the web with free social network Social Rainbow, which was released a few weeks ago.
Christopher Merced, Social Chairman Rainbow, told Vocero.com realizing that there was no social network aimed at uniting the entire LGBT community, decided to create his project.
"I was watching it on the social networks that had to do with the LGBT community as there was no specifically had the entire community. Many times there is a page that is a social network for lesbians or gays only but there is something that unites the entire community of all ages, "he said.
Merced joined with entrepreneurs to create and launch cyber page, which took two years to develop.


"There is a part that has to news that has all social functions, we have a party for pets community as many of them do not have children and they feel that their pets are like their children. We also have a fan page as such where they can publish or business people who want to use it for fun or anything, "he said.
He also indicated that the objective is not to present pornography. "What we are seeking is to unite the community to socializen with people around the world.
In two weeks, about 2,900 people have already created your profile on the social network.
People can download the application page on smartphones Android market.Currently, organizers are working to make this also possible in the mobile iPhone, Windows and Blackberry.
Users can post photos and videos. In addition to sending messages to their friends and meet, add and block people.
Initially, the social network would not be free but the founders decided that was free of cost.
Follow me on Twitter: Harry_Rodz
 See more in News    Comments 
_______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________



238 Road to Fortaleza

May 29, 2013 - Politics , Puerto Rico - 
Senate yesterday gave approval to three controversial projects now pass to the signing of the Executive
The project 488 which extends the protection of Act 54 to all couples loudly approved. THE SPOKESMAN / Willin Rodriguez



 Maricarmen Rivera and Carmen Milagros Diaz 

THE SPOKESMAN

 The Senate yesterday gave approval to three controversial projects now pass to the signing of Executive: the ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, the protection of all couples under the Domestic Violence Act 54 and legislative reform. The projects now await the governor's signature, Alejandro Garcia Padilla.
The most controversial of these projects - the 238 which seeks to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment - was the subject of several amendments in the House, with the Senate concurred yesterday.Senator Maria de Lourdes Santiago independence voted against the bill even though it supported in the past. He said his change responds precisely to the amendments cameral.
"I find no way to justify what the House did," said Santiago.
The revised projects were approved at yesterday's Senate session without debate. There were several minority senators indicated they would give a "vote explanatory", which means that in the coming days will present a paper on their vote. During yesterday's session, the popular senator Ramon Luis Nieves, author of the measure, sought to clarify that even with the amendments to the draft, it would authorize the discrimination to a person having a particular business simply categorized as a believer or follower of a religion.
"We closed that claim and the law is clear that while no exclusion to respect the constitutional separation of church and state, it will not be construed as any person claiming religious conviction, can discriminate," said Nieves.
For his part, Senate President Eduardo Bhatia, did not say when you will see a pending project to ensure adoption rights for all couples. He said the Senate's efforts are now aimed at the budget.
"Democratic processes and political and legislative processes require a few moments struggles, struggles which combine forces and this clumping of forces must follow some strategies regardless of the amendments in the House," said Bhatia. "What remains today is an extremely strong project is a great project. The project to protect discrimination at work is an extraordinary and historic project. "
In both, the representative Luis Vega Ramos - author of the project 488 which extends the protection of Law 54 to all couples - highlighted that this measure was adoption at Senate without amendments.
"Today we can say with great satisfaction that in the workplace and the fight against this evil nefarious life of all Puerto Ricans, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or status, are equal," said Vega Ramos. "Very few times in the life of a legislator one has the opportunity to give claws, shield and protect a sector widely discriminated against."
__________________________________________________________






9:13 AM 5/29/2013










8:06 AM 5/29/2013

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_______________________________________________________


Civilian Review Panel Proposed to Bolster Police Reform



By EVA LLORENS VELEZ

Although the proposed judicial 
supervision of the police reform should go into effect at 
the end of the month if an agreement 
between the local and federal governments is ratifi ed, civil rights groups 
supported the creation of a citizen’s 
panel to supervise Puerto Rico’s police force.
Senate Bill 19 would create a panel comprising the Puerto Rico Bar 
Association, a representative selected 
by the Civil Rights Commission, a representative named by the Police superintendent and two appointed by 
the governor.
The members would receive a 
$100 per diem.
Rosa Rodríguez, the executive 
director of the Civil Rights Commission, noted that the image of the police department has been hurt by incidents of police brutality. She listed 
instances of human rights abuse that 
appeared in a 2011 report issued by 
the federal Justice Department.
“The Civil Rights Commission 
supports the measure, but we recommend that the agent appointed by the 
Police chief have at least 10 years of 
experience on the force and not fi ve 
years, Rodríguez said. “Another one 
of the members appointed by the governor should be a lawyer.”
Police Chief Héctor Pesquera, 
however, has objected to Senate Bill 
19. He said the department already 
has the administrative design to deal 
with police misconduct as such complaints are investigated by the Professional Responsibility Auxiliary Superintendency.
“Investigations in the past have 
led to the expulsion of and sanctions 
against hundreds of police offi cers,” 
he said.
Pesquera said there are other 
entities, such as the commonwealth 
Justice Department and the Investigations Bureau, that also investigate 
police misconduct.
William Ramírez, executive director of the Puerto Rico chapter of 
the American Civil Liberties Union 
(ACLU), said recently that he hopes 
the agreement between federal and 
local authorities will lead to a less politicized and more professional police 
force.
Pesquera said in budget hearings 
earlier this month that he needed $20 
million to start implementing the police reform. He said he did not know 
how much the reform ultimately will 
cost.
Speaking at a press conference 
on a global report on human rights 
last week, Ramírez issued a warning 
to all political parties to avoid a repeat of a pattern of abuses at the Police Department, noting that just because there is a new administration 
does not mean that what took place 
at the agency will not happen again.
The ACLU recently fi led a lawsuit against top police offi cers, accusing them of discriminating against 
an offi cer for being an atheist and not 
adhering to the separation of church 
and state.
The case involves police offi -
cer Alvin Marrero Méndez, 38, who 
repeatedly refused to participate in 
Christian prayers held at his precinct 
because he is an atheist.
Three years ago, the ACLU sued 
the superintendent for violating the 
constitutional rights of peaceful protesters who were beaten and abused 
during demonstrations against controversial government policies, including mass layoffs of public workers 
and cutbacks at the University of 
Puerto Rico (UPR).
The lawsuit was fi led on behalf 
of the General Student Council of the 
UPR Río Piedras Campus and a local 
union.



-



Amended Gay Rights Bills Expected to Pass in Senate



By EVA LLORENS VELEZ 

The Senate is slated in today’s 
session to concur with bills that 
would broaden gay rights even 
though one of them has been criticized for falling short on its promised 
protections.
House Bill 488, which would expand Law 54 domestic violence protections to cover all kinds of couples, 
including gay couples, is slated to be 
passed by the Senate, which is expected to concur with House amendments 
to Senate Bill 238, the legislation that 
would ban job discrimination on the 
basis of sexual orientation.
“I don’t foresee any problems 
with the approval of the two bills,” 
said Sen. Ramón Luis Nieves, who 
authored Senate Bill 238. “Because of 
what happened in the House, I expect 
the Senate to concur with Senate Bill 
238. I would have wanted the House 
to pass it as it was. I also expect the 
passage of House Bill 488 because it 
was a campaign promise.” 
Both bills were approved by 
the House on Friday after numerous 
amendments.
Senate Bill 238 has been heavily criticized by sectors in the gay 
community because the ban on job 
discrimination on the basis of sexual 
orientation was watered down. As 
amended by the House, the proposed 
ban was taken out of some of the laws 
that it originally intended to amend 
such as the Veterans Bill of Rights and 
the Youth Bill of Rights. It is now contained in a few labor laws.
The legislation limited the ban 
to job discrimination and not to any 
“public and private transaction” as it 
was originally written, which means 
it does not cover other areas such as 
housing. The bill contains an exemption for church organizations.
of the activists who backed the gay 
rights bills, wrote in his Facebook 
page over the weekend that activists 
should lobby the Senate so the bill is 
approved as it was originally written. 
He said gays who were happy about 
the bills were lying to themselves.
“It is not the time to smoke a 
legislative cigar and to do public relations for the government or make 
triumphant remarks, it is time to 
congratulate ourselves because we 
are closer to equality but also we 
must fi ght so that 238 is approved as 
the Senate had passed it and not the 
way the religious right wrote it in the 
House on Friday,” Ruiz Ayala wrote.
Senate President Eduardo Bhatia said

he expected the Senate to pass the bills.


____________________________________________________

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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Metro Puerto Rico Fortaleza vuelve a frenar movidas de personal en Autoridad de Carreteras


Metro Puerto Rico
Fortaleza vuelve a frenar movidas de personal en Autoridad de Carreteras. http://ow.ly/lu7QH
Fortaleza vuelve a frenar movidas de personal en Autoridad de Carreteras. http://ow.ly/lu7QH
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Gay Puerto Rico: After Pride Parade glow party in San Juan Condado this next June 2nd 2013 at Levels Club in Santurce...


Gay Puerto Rico
After Pride Parade glow party in San Juan Condado this next June 2nd 2013 at Levels Club in Santurce...
After Pride Parade glow party in San Juan Condado this next June 2nd 2013 at Levels Club in Santurce...

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Judicial Oversight of Police Dept. To Begin - p.2 - May 24-26, 2013 The Star

Judicial Oversight of Police Dept. To Begin - p.2 - May 24-26, 2013 The Star

By EVA LLORENS VELEZ

By the end of the month, the judicial
supervision of the Police Department
will go into effect, a move that will
allow for better working conditions as well
as a more professional and less politicized
force, the head of the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU) in Puerto Rico
said Thursday.
“The last information that we have
is that there has been a request for a
postponement, but we are close to that
police reform in agreement with the
government of Puerto Rico and under the
supervision of the federal court,” ACLU
Executive Director William Ramírez said
in a radio report.
Ramírez was referring to the lawsuit
fi led the U.S. Justice Department against
the local Police Department for allegedly
engaging in a pattern of civil rights
violations. The lawsuit fi led last year took
place as a result of a probe that began in
2008.
The local and federal governments
are still under negotiations to ratify
an agreement on the lawsuit that will
pave the way for a police
reform. There have been
several postponements to the
ratifi cation. Police Chief Héctor
Pesquera said during budget
hearings that Judge Gustavo
Gelpí agreed to allow another
postponement until May 30.
Pesquera at the time
said he needed $20 million to
start implementing the police
reform. He did not know how
much the reform will cost
altogether...

Local News


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May 24-26, 2013 The Star: Governor Presses House for Vote on Job Rights For Gays

6
May 24-26, 2013 The Star
Governor Presses House for Vote on Job Rights For Gays

By EVA LLORENS VELEZ
I
n an unusual move, Gov. Alejandro García Padilla met with
the House majority Thursday to
pressure them into voting for a bill
that would ban job discrimination
on the basis of sexual orientation.
García Padilla said at a news
conference that Senate Bill 238 had
the votes for approval after amendments were made to clarify that the
bill had nothing to do with samesex marriage.
“I would have signed it as it
was passed by the Senate, but it
has suffered amendments and both
presidents have offered guarantees
that the government platform will
be respected,” the governor said.
While neither Senate Bill 238
nor House Bill 488, which would
extend domestic violence protections to all kinds of couples, were
in the session’s calendar, legal advisers and legislative sources assured reporters that the bills were expected to go to a vote in Thursday’s
session. However, as of press time
at 6:30 p.m., the session had not
started and offi cials had not made
the announcement that the bills
were going to go for a vote.
House Alternate Minority Leader Carlos Méndez said that except
for House Minority Leader Jenniffer González, the New Progressive
Party (NPP) delegation was going
to oppose the bills.
Early in the day he had urged
the majority to fi le a substitute bill
similar to one approved a year ago
by the then NPP-controlled House
that was more specifi c about job
discrimination against gays. Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Rep.
Luis Vega Ramos reiterated remarks he made to the Star on Wednesday in that he would amend the
supremacy clause in Senate Bill 238
to appease religious sectors that
said the clause will pave the way
for same-sex marriage.
The supremacy clause states
that any laws or rules that are inconsistent with the proposed bill
must be amended or repealed.
García Padilla, who met with
the majority senators after his meeting with the representatives, said
he believed the clarifi cation was
not really needed because the supremacy clause could not be interpreted as leading to same-sex marriage.
“Some lawmakers wanted the
language to be clarifi ed,” he said.
Regarding House Bill 488,
Vega Ramos had told the Star that
he had amended it so that Law 54
protections can cover all kinds of
people regardless of whether they
are part of a couple or not.
Senate Bill 238 was approved
last week by the upper chamber,
but House Bill 488 still has to go to
a vote in both chambers.
Ten PDP representatives had
opposed the gay rights bill. They
were Brenda López, Víctor Vassallo, Narden Jaime, Lydia Méndez,
Javier Aponte, José Rodríguez,
Luis Raúl Torres, César Hernández, Armando Franco and Roberto
Rivera.
Senate President Eduardo
Bhatia said the upper chamber was
going to concur with the amendments.
Lawmakers also discussed
with the governor the proposed
budget and legislative reforms.

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