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Subject: [CAVentura] Act now or lose CA birth & death record rights
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 03:23:21 EDT

Dear Californians and everybody else out there interested in the future of
genealogy,

I just went to www.rootsweb.com and was shocked to see that the California
legislature is trying to pass a law that will severely limit access to birth
and death records in California. I know that I wish they would give us more
access and not less. It is tough enough just going on birth certificates,
marriage certificates,death certificates and census records, but now they
want to take that away from us too. It wasn't long ago that the federal
government raised social security records from what I recall being $3 to $27.
That was a major blow to family history enthusiasts. This could be even
worse. It will be bad enough if this law passes in California, but then the
slippery slope effect might take place where other states follow California's
lead and limit access to public records as well. I know that I would be very
disappointed if that were the case. I read recently that genealogy is by far
the number one hobby in the U.S. I know that I sure love it, but I never knew
it was that popular. Please go to www.rootsweb.com and see more about this
genealogical atrocity, and please write to the governor and Senators Speier
and Bowen about Senate Bill 1614. Let's stop this here and now!

Russ Lentz P.S. I will post information on this bill
below.

California Birth and Death Records
Senate Bill 1614

The California Senate is now considering legislation that would reduce the
information available in the birth and death record indexes rendering them
significantly less useful and/or limit the use and access by genealogical
researchers and family historians. That which to date has been available as a
matter of law, would be unavailable as a matter of law, except by restricted
access through a limited index in California County Clerk's offices.
While we understand concerns raised about privacy and identity, we hope that
those involved in determining the future accessibility of these records will
balance their great and proven family history public value against privacy
and identity concerns.
MyFamily.com considers these records to be primary to the pursuit of
discovering an individual's heritage and history; in fact, central to the
human need that answers the yearning deep inside each of us to know who we
are and from where we came.
If you are concerned about this loss, and the fact that the legislation if
passed might mean other states would follow suit, you can contact the
relevant Senators and Senate Committees by sending an e-mail regarding your
thoughts. This bill will go to the floor of the Senate for a vote very soon
so do not delay in contacting your senator……
· State Governor:
· Senator Speier:
· Senator Bowen:
· All of the above
Details on the status of the legislation can be found at:
http://info.sen.ca.gov/cgi-bin/pagequery?type=sen_bilinfo&site=sen&;
title=Bill+Information
Just type SB1614 in the space for "Bill number."
National Genealogical Society (NGS) and the Federation of Genealogical
Societies (FGS) speak out on this issue.


P.S. II I am looking for my long lost relatives that were last known to
live in the San Francisco area, we believe: Mary Neumann (married name Cowan
or something spelled like that). She had a son, but they left Pennsylvania
around the time of World War II, and my grandmother cannot remember the name
of the son. Her brother Herman (nicknames: Louie and Hermie) Neumann also
moved to California as well as her brother Frederick (Freddie) Neumann. We
think Mary was born about 1914 and her brother Herman in about 1912 and her
brother Freddie in about 1908. Mary's husband was a mailman back in
Pittsburgh, but I think he died before she left for CA. I could be wrong
though. Mary's parents were August (nickname: Albert) Neumann and Katherine
M. (nickname: Kitty) White. My grandmother is just dying to know what ever
happened to her cousins.

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