13 months ago
SACRAMENTO, CA - Teachers are responding to news that California's largest teacher's union has given another $1 million to defeat a ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage. The contribution recorded Tuesday makes the California Teachers Association the largest institutional donor to the No on 8 campaign. CTA also gave $250,000 in August to Equality for All, a coalition of gay advocacy and civil rights groups opposing Proposition 8. Union spokeswoman Sandra Jackson says CTA's 800-member policy body voted overwhelmingly to oppose the gay marriage ban. Jackson says the issue concerns educators because "teachers teach the importance of equal rights for all." She says CTA leaders made the second contribution this week because the No campaign seems to be struggling. According to fundraising reports filed with the state on October 6, there was a $10 million between the two campaigns. The Yes on 8 campaign had raised $25.4 million and the No on 8 campaign had raised $15.8 million. "It bothers me to spend my money on something I'm morally opposed to," said Randy Peart, a teacher with the San Juan Unified School District. "Why not put that money into classrooms, into making a better place for these kids?" Peart said she doesn't have any say about how the CTA spends her membership dues. "What does this cause have to do with education?" she said. The CTA represents more than 340,000 public school teachers, counselors, psychologists and librarians in California. Live_Online Debate News10 hosted a lively discussion about Prop 8 and the CTA's donation to the No on 8 campaign. Two excerpts from the discussion with "Yes" side's Chip White and No on 8 representative Andrea Jackson can be seen in the video player on the right.
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