Contact President Obama and tell him that you support his plan to veto this terrible legislation.

President Barak Obama,
The White House, District of Columbia 20500:
Phone: (202) 456-1414:
E-mail http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

CONGRESSIONAL MATTERS

S. 1925 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011
SUPPORT
- Sen. Patrick Leahy [D-VT], 60 Co-Sponsors including Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray
- Reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on February 2, 2012
- 13% chance of passing according to govtrack.us
Title I: Enhancing Judicial and Law Enforcement Tools to Combat Violence Against Women
Title II: Improving Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking
Title III: Services, Protection, and Justice for Young Victims of Violence
Title IV: Violence Reduction Practices
Title V: Strengthening the Healthcare System’s Response to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking
Title VI: Safe Homes for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking
Title VII: Economic Security for Victims of Violence
Title VIII: Protection of Battered Immigrants
Title IX: Safety for Indian Women
Title X: Other Matters

S. 598: Respect for Marriage Act of 2011
SUPPORT
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA], 31 Co-Sponsors including Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray
- Reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on November 10, 2011
- 9% chance of passing according to govtrack.us
“Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal a provision that prohibited a state, territory, possession, or Indian tribe from being required to recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a same sex marriage. Amends the federal rules of construction added by such Act concerning the definitions of “marriage” and “spouse” to provide that, for purposes of any federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual’s marriage is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Removes the definition of “spouse” (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).”

S. 414: International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2011
SUPPORT
- Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL], 35 Co-Sponsors including Patty Murray
- Reported by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on February 14, 2012
- 8% chance of passing according to govtrack.us

Defines “child marriage” as the marriage of a girl or boy not yet the minimum age for marriage stipulated in law in the country in which the girl or boy is a resident, or where there is no such law, under the age of 18.
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) child marriage is a violation of human rights and its prevention and elimination should be a U.S. foreign policy goal; and (2) expanding educational opportunities for girls, economic opportunities for women, and reducing maternal and child mortality are critical to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and U.S. global health and development objectives, including efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS. Authorizes the President to provide assistance, including through multilateral, nongovernmental, and faith-based organizations, to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to promote the educational, health, economic, social, and legal empowerment of girls and women. Directs the President to establish a multi-year strategy to prevent child marriage and promote the empowerment of girls at risk of child marriage in developing countries, and should include addressing the unique needs, vulnerabilities, and potential of girls under age 18 in developing countries. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President and all relevant agencies should collect and make available data on the incidence of child marriage in countries that receive U.S. foreign or development assistance where the practice of child marriage is prevalent. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require that Department of State country reports on human rights practices include a description of the status of child marriage for each country in which child marriage is prevalent.

S. 671: Finding Fugitive Sex Offenders Act of 2011
SUPPORT
- Sen. Jefferson “Jeff” Sessions [R-AL], 21 Co-Sponsors
- Reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on December 1, 2011
- 8% chance of passing according to govtrack.us
Amends the federal judicial code and the federal criminal code to authorize the United States Marshals Service to issue administrative subpoenas solely for the investigation of unregistered sex offenders.

S. 1763: SAVE Native Women Act
SUPPORT
- Sen. Daniel Akaka [D-HI], 14 Co-Sponsors including Patty Murray
- Reported by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on December 8, 2011
- 8% chance of passing according to govtrack.us
A bill to decrease the incidence of violent crimes against Indian women, to strengthen the capacity of Indian tribes to exercise the sovereign authority of Indian tribes to respond to violent crimes committed against Indian women, and to ensure that perpetrators of violent crimes committed against Indian women are held accountable for that criminal behavior, and for other purposes.

S. 1542: Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act
SUPPORT
- Sen. Max Baucus [D-MT], 5 Co-Sponsors including Maria Cantwell
- Reported by the Senate Committee on Finance on September 20, 2011
- 8% chance of passing according to govtrack.us
A bill to amend part B of title IV of the Social Security Act to extend the child and family services program through fiscal year 2016, and for other purposes.

H.R. 2337: Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011
SUPPORT
- Rep. Ted Poe [R-TX2], 88 Co-Sponsors including Rep. James “Jim” McDermott, Rep. Dave Reichert, and Rep. Adam Smith
- Reported by House Committee on Foreign Affairs on September 21, 2011
- 8% chance of passing according to govtrack.us
To amend the Peace Corps Act to require sexual assault risk-reduction and response training, the development of sexual assault protocol and guidelines, the establishment of victims advocates, the establishment of a Sexual Assault Advisory Council, and for other purposes.

 Saturday, May 19th, 2012

8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Olympia Center

222 Columbia St

Olympia, WA

Email Judie to Register

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

by  Keena Bean, Legislative Coordinator

short link: http://wp.me/pjR3X-gG

Hey, Seattle NOW Activists and Supporters, my name is Keena Bean and I am your new Legislative Coordinator for Seattle NOW. I am currently a junior at the University of Washington, and I recently took on this position as part of my internship requirement for the Law, Societies, and Justice major. It is my pleasure to bring you a summary of what went on in Olympia this session.

One of the most pronounced achievements of the legislature this session was passing Senate Bill 6239, which legalized same-sex marriages. Unfortunately, as soon as it was passed the opponents of marriage equality began gathering signatures on a referendum to make Equal Marriage illegal in Washington State. If you are asked to sign this petition – DECLINE TO SIGN REFERENDUM 74 – and inform the signature gatherer why you won’t sign. If this referendum gets enough signatures (and there is every reason to suspect that it will), it will be on the ballot in November 2012, along with the presidential election. Keep yourselves and your community informed about this issue because if it does end up on the November ballot, the wording of the initiative is complicated and requires that one vote to APPROVE the initiative in order to preserve legal equal marriage in our state.

Another very important bill that went to the legislature was House Bill 2330, otherwise known as the Reproductive Parity Act (RPA). This bill would make sure that current access to abortion services would continue once federal health reform (ObamaCare) is instituted. The RPA would require insurance carriers that provide maternity coverage to also cover abortion. As it stands now, all insurance carriers in Washington do so, and we want to protect that. This bill would also ensure that low income women still have access to abortion funds provided by the State, as directed by Initiative 120, which was voter approved in 1991. NOW fully supports the passage of this bill, but it was unfortunately never brought to a vote in the Senate. What you can do to show your support is contact your legislators and make sure they know that passing the Reproductive Parity Act in 2013 is a top priority to protect women’s current access to abortion services in Washington State. Without the passage of the Reproductive Parity Act, the women and girls of WA will not be assured the same availability of reproductive health care coverage that we have had since 1991.

The past session was a triumph for the family, with the passage and signatures of four beneficial bills.

House Bill 2262, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), was passed and signed by Governor Gregoire this year with the endorsement of NOW. This bill puts control of the TANF and Working Connections Childcare budget (WCCC) back into the general fund. Our state was the only one in the nation to allow the Governor to control spending within these programs without legislative approval. The bill protected these programs from the budget cuts that have devastated so many of the health and human service programs funded by the state.

Senate Bill 6226, Working Connections Child Care (WCCC), was also passed and signed by Governor Gregoire. This bill allows parents who are enrolled in WCCC to be authorized for 12 months as opposed to the 6 months that are currently allowed. WCCC is a program that helps low income families pay for child care so that parents are able to find and maintain employment, and it has been shown to provide stable care for children.

Twin bills, SB 6386 and HB 2828, revoke the requirement put into place in 2011 that parents enrolling in WCCC must cooperate with child support enforcement. This past requirement has led to a sharp drop in WCCC enrollment. WCCC has been shown to be effective in helping parents keep their jobs and in providing stable care for children, so we want to ensure that all needy families are able to take part. Both of these bills were passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Gregoire.

In anticipation of the coming federal health reform, the legislature passed House Bill 2319, which establishes our state’s health insurance exchange program. This is the mechanism that most consumers and businesses will use to purchase health insurance once the federal plan is fully implemented. HB 2319 lays out specific requirements for plans operating in the exchange and establishes certain consumer protections.

In an attempt to reduce gang violence in Washington State, legislators tried to pass House Bill 2432, which would set up a statewide system of pro-active gang intervention and prevention programs. While the bill did not pass, there is a certain provision in the Supplemental Budget that lays the foundation for the creation of such a system in the future. NOW supports this endeavor.

House Bill 2612 and Senate Bill 6381 (Voting Rights Act) would ensure that all voters and protected classes in Washington State have an equal opportunity to elect officials of their choice. This bill would make sure that members of a protected class are not diluted in number when it comes to the drawing and maintenance of district lines. NOW supports the bill, as it would protect the free speech of all Washingtonians in the ballot box, and especially those in protected classes. The Voting Rights Act was not passed in the legislature in the previous session.

Over the last decade cases of skin cancer in young women have risen dramatically, due in large part to unsafe tanning practices. House Bill 2550 and Senate Bill 6249 would prohibit the use of tanning facilities by individuals under the age of 18 and set up health and safety regulations for the tanning industry in Washington. NOW supports this bill, but it unfortunately did not pass. NOW encourages our legislators to approve legislation that protects young women in Washington State.

NOW supports Senate Bill 6570, which would establish a system of Paid Family Leave for various circumstances including childbirth, the adoption of a child, a serious health condition of a family member, or a serious health condition of the worker him/herself. The bill saw no action in the Senate, so our current unfunded state program for minimal paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child stands.

Similarly, House Bill 2508 and Senate Bill 6229 did not pass this session, but are supported by NOW. These bills would provide minimum requirements for sick leave from employment. Currently, Washington State NOW is working with local groups to pass sick leave requirements at the city level. The city of Seattle passed their ordinance in 2011.

That wraps up some of the important issues discussed in the most recent Washington State legislative sessions. Remember to contact your legislators and make your voice heard – Washington is not a state where women are forgotten about.

The forum will focus on how the unprecedented cuts to our state budget are disproportionally harming women’s employment, economic security, health, and safety. Panelists will discuss policies that should be pursued at the state level as our economy recovers, and how we ensure that the recovery is equitable for women, especially those from low income backgrounds and women of color.  Community members will be invited to join the discussion during the Q & A portion of the program.

Click here to RSVP for the forum (it’s a free event, but space is limited).

The forum will be moderated by Erica Barnett from Publicola and panelists include:

• Lori Pfingst, Senior Policy Analyst, Washington State Budget & Policy Center
• Marilyn Watkins, Policy Director, Economic Opportunity Institute
• Dana Laurent, Political Director of Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest
• Diane Narasaki, Executive Director of Asian Counseling and Referral Service
• David Ward, Legal and Legislative Counsel at Legal Voice

Co-sponsors include: API Chaya (formerly API Safety Center and Chaya), Asian Counseling and Referral Service, Economic Opportunity Institute, League of Women Voters Washington, Legal Voice, MomsRising, National Council for Jewish Women, National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, Progress Alliance, Statewide Poverty Action Network, University of Washington Women’s Center, Washington Community Action Network, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Win/Win Network, Women’s Funding Alliance, WA State National Organization for Women

Event Details

What Women Want: A Community Forum

The Wing Luke Asian Museum, Community Hall

Tuesday May 8^th, 6:00 – 8:00pm

Refreshments will be served.

RSVP: http://whatwomenwantwashington.eventbrite.com/

Questions? Email Lanna Ripp at LannaR@budgetandpolicy.org

We hope you will join us for this powerful night of discussion and action!

April 12th, The Threat to Social Security featuring

Rep Dennis Kucinich, Pramila Jayapal, Marilyn Watkins, and Leno Rose-Avila

On April 28th Unite Against the War on Women
March and Rally!

Email us for ways to get involved.

AGAINST THE WAR ON WOMEN!!!!