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Armenian National Committee - Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected] www.anca.org
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PRESS RELEASE +++ PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Friday, August 25, 2006
Contact: Lerna Kayserian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
Armenian Genocide Banking Bill Passes State Legislature
-Senator Jackie Speier leads colleagues in securing vote
SACRAMENTO, CA --- The Armenian National Committee of America -
Western Region (ANCA-WR) welcomed today's news that the California
State Legislature passed the "Armenian Genocide Bank and Looted
Assets Recovery Act", SB 1524, sending the bill back to Governor
Schwarzenegger to sign only days after the he indicated his
opposition to its the linkage with SB 1765. Demonstrating, once
again, her leadership and commitment to Armenian American issues and
statesmanship in the Capitol, Senator Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo)
speedily secured the consent of fellow Senators to sever SB 1524
from SB 1765. The severed bill was immediately resubmitted for
consideration by the Senate and Assembly.
The bill, originally passed out of the State legislature on August
7th, was attached to SB 1765, which entitles wrongfully repatriated
Mexican Americans during the 1930's to file lawsuits against the State.
That bill, which had been vetoed in its previous forms on numerous
occasions, had been attached to SB1524 at the behest of Senator Escutia
(D-Montebello) and with the support of Senator Dunn (D-Garden Grove)
in May of this year. In doing so, the passage of one bill became
dependent on the passage of the other.
At the time, the ANCA-WR Chairman Steven Dadaian had testified in
support of SB 1524 and urged that the bills remain separate so that
they could be judged on their own merits. Dadaian testified during
the May 9th hearing that California has a public policy interest in
protecting the rights of its Armenian American community by granting
California courts jurisdiction over these entities.
In vetoing SB 1765 and returning SB 1524 to the State legislature,
Governor Schwarzenegger echoed the ANCA-WR's sentiment. The bill is
slated to go to the Governor's desk for consideration as early as
next week. The ANCA-WR is confident that the Governor will sign this
important legislation promptly.
Once signed, the new law will allow victims and heirs recovery -
through California Courts - of assets looted by banks and financial
institutions operating in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey during
the Armenian Genocide which have been wrongfully withheld since
the Genocide.
The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively
advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad
range of issues.
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Armenian National Committee - Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected] www.anca.org
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PRESS RELEASE +++ PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Friday, August 25, 2006
Contact: Lerna Kayserian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
Armenian Genocide Banking Bill Passes State Legislature
-Senator Jackie Speier leads colleagues in securing vote
SACRAMENTO, CA --- The Armenian National Committee of America -
Western Region (ANCA-WR) welcomed today's news that the California
State Legislature passed the "Armenian Genocide Bank and Looted
Assets Recovery Act", SB 1524, sending the bill back to Governor
Schwarzenegger to sign only days after the he indicated his
opposition to its the linkage with SB 1765. Demonstrating, once
again, her leadership and commitment to Armenian American issues and
statesmanship in the Capitol, Senator Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo)
speedily secured the consent of fellow Senators to sever SB 1524
from SB 1765. The severed bill was immediately resubmitted for
consideration by the Senate and Assembly.
The bill, originally passed out of the State legislature on August
7th, was attached to SB 1765, which entitles wrongfully repatriated
Mexican Americans during the 1930's to file lawsuits against the State.
That bill, which had been vetoed in its previous forms on numerous
occasions, had been attached to SB1524 at the behest of Senator Escutia
(D-Montebello) and with the support of Senator Dunn (D-Garden Grove)
in May of this year. In doing so, the passage of one bill became
dependent on the passage of the other.
At the time, the ANCA-WR Chairman Steven Dadaian had testified in
support of SB 1524 and urged that the bills remain separate so that
they could be judged on their own merits. Dadaian testified during
the May 9th hearing that California has a public policy interest in
protecting the rights of its Armenian American community by granting
California courts jurisdiction over these entities.
In vetoing SB 1765 and returning SB 1524 to the State legislature,
Governor Schwarzenegger echoed the ANCA-WR's sentiment. The bill is
slated to go to the Governor's desk for consideration as early as
next week. The ANCA-WR is confident that the Governor will sign this
important legislation promptly.
Once signed, the new law will allow victims and heirs recovery -
through California Courts - of assets looted by banks and financial
institutions operating in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey during
the Armenian Genocide which have been wrongfully withheld since
the Genocide.
The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively
advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad
range of issues.
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