International Marriage Broker regulation efforts, that is.
The feminist advocates are taking on International Marriage Brokers in California with a new bill, as the one in Congress continues to remain pending, with fresh charges of potential for domestic violence abuse.
SEE DECEMBER 03, 2005 ARTICLE:
New Bill Aims to Curtail Mail-Order Bride Abuse
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/13319128.htm
In light of recent cases such as that of a Ukraine lady hospitalized with a fractured skull from her husband's beating, Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (D-San Jose) remarked: "There have been a number of instances where women come expecting one type of a situation, looking forward to marriage and greater future possibilities, and end up being subject to domestic violence, rape and other physical abuses."
Lieber's bill AB634 would force all California based broker-agencies to be licensed by a state board, mandate that the owners themselves undergo a police background check, and order the broker-agencies to teach the lady "foreign recruits" how to respond to domestic violence, contact the police, get a court restraining order, etc.
There are reportedly some 70 International Marriage Brokers in California, mostly doing business from the web, and some charging up to $7,000 for their services.
Lady matchmaker Marsha Winter, who hooks up domestic couples in the Bay area, commented that she is "absolutely" in favor of the new proposed foreign bride laws, calling overseas matchmaking "ridiculous". "Tell these guys we have tons of good women here."
Added another foreign bride critic who thinks that the new proposed laws are only a "start": "I think the better start is to make these guys take a sociological test."
