Genocide insurance bill sent to Davis
Claudia Peschiutta
BURBANK -- Whether Armenian Genocide victims or their heirs will be
able to sue U.S. insurance companies for claims stemming from old
policies depends only on the pen of Gov. Gray Davis.
The bill, which seeks to extend the statute of limitations for claims
through 2010, was approved by the state Senate with a 39-0 vote Aug. 22
and sent to Davis for approval.
State Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), a principal coauthor of the bill,
appeared before his peers to urge the legislation’s passage.
“I was just trying to highlight the importance of providing redress,”
Schiff said. “These families bought insurance policies, often from
American companies, to protect their lives and goods prior to and during
the genocide and have never had the opportunity to make a claim on those
policies.”
About 1.5-million Armenians were killed when exiled by the Ottoman
Turks in 1915. The Turkish government denies genocide allegations.
The legislation had been approved earlier this year but was returned
to the state Senate after an urgency clause -- which would make it go
into effect immediately after being signed by the governor -- was added,
Schiff said.
The state senator said he was confident Davis would sign the bill.