Scherman, Sikhs Seek Support For Anti-Discrimination, Education Bills

Kamaljeet Atwal (left) and Amar Shergill call supporters urging the Governor's signature on two pieces of legislation  important to Ca...

Kamaljeet Atwal (left) and Amar Shergill call supporters urging the Governor's signature on two pieces of legislation  important to California Sikhs. 

In a cavernous space acting as Elk Grove City Council Member and mayoral candidate Sophia Scherman's campaign office, over a dozen volunteers gathered earlier tonight to place calls seeking support for the Governor to sign two bills of particular interest to California Sikhs.

The phone bank, which was organized in part by attorney Amar Shergill, sought to encourage Governor Jerry Brown to sign the two bills, AB 1964 and SB 1540, which would respectively protect and enhance protections for religious clothing and hairstyles in the workplace and modify the states public school curriculum to include historical instruction on among other groups, Sikhs.

Speaking to the group before the phone blitz Shergill urged everyone to call and text everyone they could asking them to urge the governors signature of the bills which have passed both houses. "All we have left is the Governor's signature," Shergill said.

Although the event was not directly related to Scherman's mayoral campaign, Shergill thanked the three term council member for use of the facility and her long standing support of Elk Grove's Sikh community. "Ms. Scherman has been a longtime friend of our community," he said.

Among the many volunteers on hand was Kamaljeet Atwal, the son of the late Gurmej Singh Atwal, one of the two men murdered last year in Elk Grove. In the aftermath of the Elk Grove murders and the deadly attack earlier this month on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, the callers all had a sense of mission and urgency in their voices as they made their calls.

Along with Scherman and all the volunteers, Elk Grove School Board Members Bobbie Singh-Allen and Jake Rambo pitched in and made calls.

For those interested in urging Gov. Brown to sign the bills, his office number is (916)445-2841.

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1 comment

Anonymous said...

I think it is fair to say there wasn’t one person here in Elk Grove who wasn’t affected by the tragic murders of Mr. Atwal and Mr. Singh and want justice for their families.

However, as with the recent shootings in Aurora and all the media coverage from both side of the aisle regarding gun control, I do think we should ask ourselves, “What is politicizing a tragedy?”

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