Public Policy Notes for October 2016 by Carolyn Smith

AAUW Public Policy by Carolyn Smith

CALLS TO ACTION (telephone, or http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/public-policy/two-minute-activist/):

1. Paycheck Fairness Act: Call Sen. Nelson & Rubio and US House Representative for YES vote.

Again and yet again AAUW urges calls for support of this act, reintroduced in the 114^th Congress by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and, as earlier, Sen Barbara Mikulski (D-Md).

2. FAMILY ACT (Family and Medical Insurance Leave): Call US Rep. Crenshaw and Brown for YES.

     This act would create a national family leave insurance program giving eligible employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave funded by employee and employer contributions.

3. GEEA (Patsy T. Mink Gender Equity in Education Act): Call Nelson, Rubio, and US House for YES.               

    GEEA  (S.3147 / H. R. 5682) would strengthen Title IX and honor Title IX’s founder, Patsy Mink (D-HI, 1970’s) by establishing an Office of Gender Equity in the US Dept. of Ed., to coordinate Title IX training programs, grants, and local and state entities supporting gender equity program.

4. Voting Rights Advancement Act (S.1659 / H.R. 2867): Call Nelson, Rubio, US House for YES.

This act would amend the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby v. Holder to strike out section 4b of the Voting Right Act of 1965, a section that required states with a history of discrimination to get clearance by the US Justice Dept. before making changes in voting procedures. The Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore section 4b, thus ensuring that those affected by loss of section 4b (many minority groups and 18-30 year olds) would be secure in getting the right to vote.

5. Judicial Nominations: Call Sen. Nelson & Rubio for YES
6. Federal Funding Accountability for Sexual Harassers Act: Call Congressional members for YES.

     This act would require universities and colleges to report to the US Dept. of Education any substantiated reports of sexual abuse by professors in STEM fields. The act was introduced by Jackie Speier (D-CA) at a press conference Thurs. Sept. 22. In attendance, AAUW’s Senior Government Relations Manager Anne Hedgepeth, who summarized AAUW’s recent research on sexual abuse in schools and colleges.

7. Computer Science for All Act: Call Congressional members for Yes.

       This AAUW-supported act, introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), would authorized $250 million in grants over five years to schools and colleges for computer education.

8. The Perkins Act: Call Sen. Nelson and Rubio for YES

The Perkins Act (the Perkins Career and Technical Act) was reauthorized by the US House during the week of Sept. 21, 2016. It has been held up in the Senate by provisions opposed by AAUW. These provisions would limit the Secretary of Education’s power in ensuring that Perkins funds would be used in career and technical programs offering equity in resources and gender protections. A Yes vote would ensure that Perkins funds would be used to help girls get training in high-wage and high-demand jobs.

INFORMATION

1. AAUW Celebrated National Voter Registration Day, Sept. 28.  Get out the Vote.
2. AAUW celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the National Park Service, especially its recent inclusion of the Belmont-Paul Home as a National Monument celebrating the work of Alice Paul and others in the suffrage movement of the 1910s and 1920s. Alva Vanderbilt Belmont was an ardent supporter and provided funds to renovate the old Sewell home  as the headquarters of the National Women’s Party, formed by Alice Paul and supported by Belmont to the strengthen the suffrage movement, get the 19^th amendment passed, and continue to work of ensuring that women be able to vote.