Women's Watch Archives | Page 3 of 15

Mar 01 2017

Ohio House Passes Dating Violence Protection

Yesterday, the Ohio House voted overwhelmingly to pass legislation to address a loophole in current Ohio law by allowing victims of dating violence to obtain civil protection orders against their attackers. Today, such orders are only available to victims who are spouses, living as spouses or share a child in common. This leaves thousands of Ohioans without protection because, as noted by Phyllis Riehm of ACTION Ohio in testimony, 48.6% of women killed by intimate partners were killed by dating partners. The bipartisan legislation was sponsored by Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) and Nathan Manning (R-N. Ridgeville). In an emotional speech on the house floor, Sykes recalled the story of a young Akron woman who recently lost her life to a dating partner and appealed to her colleagues:

I hope that you will stand with me in supporting House Bill 1, to support victims of dating violence across the state and ensure that no one has to bury a child, no one has to bury their mother, no one has to bury a friend because the state has done absolutely everything that we could to protect victims of dating violence.

Despite having 65 sponsors or cosponsors, the legislation did meet with some opposition. Two members — Republicans Tom Brinkman and Nino Vitale — voted against the measure. The bill now goes to the Ohio Senate.

Feb 22 2017

Repealing the ACA would be disastrous, particularly for women. Here’s how to push back.

As Republican members of Congress continue to push forward with their plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – also known as Obamacare – there has been push back from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, advocacy groups, medical experts, and concerned citizens. The threat of a repeal is fueling many to get informed about the potential impacts of the repeal, add their voice to the conversation, and stay engaged about ways to advocate for the protection of the ACA. The repeal of the ACA would jeopardize healthcare for nearly 1 million Ohioans, and women would be hit particularly hard by the loss of the healthcare law. Before the ACA, women regularly faced discrimination in the health care industry in coverage, in pricing, and in access to care. The Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network (WPPN) – a coalition we convene of nearly 25 advocacy organizations focused on advancing policies that benefit women and families – recently released an ACA Fact Sheet to show what is at stake for women if the ACA is repealed, and provided action steps that advocates can take to help push back on the repeal efforts. This week, as Congress is on recess and members are returning home to their districts, the debate over the ACA repeal has taken center stage here in Ohio and in states across the country. There have been calls for Congress members to host town halls so that constituents have an opportunity to voice their concerns with the repeal, learn more about what a replacement plan would look like, and share stories about how they have benefited from the ACA. However, many Republican lawmakers have dodged these requests for constituent input on the matter of the ACA repeal, including Ohio’s Senator Rob Portman and Representatives Pat Tiberi and Steve Stivers. And while these members of Congress have failed to answer the call for town halls, constituents and advocacy organizations have taken it upon themselves to host their own town hall style meetings and community forums to provide a voice for those concerned with the consequences of repealing the ACA without a better replacement. Join the efforts by finding an event near you here. Here are 5 other resources to get informed, add your voice, and stay engaged: 1.) Sign up for Women’s Public Policy Network emails for alerts on ACA repeal and other legislative issues impacting women and families. 2.) Visit UHCAN Ohio’s ‘Protect our Care’ Action and Resource Center online. 3.) Watch and share ProgressOhio’s video showcasing real Ohioans stories about why the ACA is important, which they sent to members of Congress dodging town halls. 4.) Read Policy Matters Ohio’s report, Repeal of Health Law Threatens Ohio Residents: Nearly 1 million people stand to lose coverage by 2019, on the impact the ACA repeal would have on Ohio. 5.) Find a Resistance Recess event near you. These events are powered by the organization MoveOn.

Feb 13 2017

The Week Ahead at the Ohio Statehouse: Feb. 13, 2017

Happy Monday! It looks to be a busy week at the Ohio Statehouse, with continued hearings on the state budget (see our coverage of that here) while committees work to advance a range of important–and in some cases, dangerous—legislation.

Here are a few things to watch this week and a call to action:

Budget hearings continue this week. The state transportation budget takes center stage, while committees get to work on hearings about state agency funding requests. We continue to encourage you to call your State Representative and let them know which critical needs the state should be funding instead of $3.1 billion in income tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy.

The House has put House Bill 36, the so-called “Pastor Protection Act” on the fast-track for passage. HB36 supporters claim the bill will “protect pastors and churches” from participating in any marriage to which they have a religious objection. While there is no evidence that any member of clergy has ever been forced to perform a wedding against their will–both the Ohio and US Constitution already grant this type of religious freedom–the sponsor says the bill is necessary to avoid the hypothetical possibility of lawsuits. Opponents have noted that the bill’s very broad language could have unintended consequences leading to further discrimination.

On Wednesday, the Community and Family Advancement Committee will hold what may be the only hearing featuring testimony from opponents. Anyone wishing to speak against HB36 must submit written testimony by 4pm Tuesday to the Chair’s office. The hearing will be held in Room 114 of the Statehouse, and is open to the public.

Call to Action

Call Speaker Rosenberger and your State Representative at 1-800-282-0253 and ask them to oppose HB 36, legislation which is unnecessary and could have harmful unintended consequences.

Attend the hearing on Wednesday at 4 in room 114 to send a strong message of opposition.

If you are a faith leader, testify in committee or send a statement by 4pm Tuesday to Rep05@ohiohouse.gov.

State Representative Bill Seitz has introduced House Bill 2, which would limit legal remedies for Ohioans experiencing employment discrimination. Among its provisions, HB2 prohibits lawsuits against individual managers and company officials who engage in sexual harassment, discrimination or retaliation. Taking individual employees off the hook could render Ohio’s anti-discrimination law completely unenforceable. The bill will be heard Tuesday at 1:30 in the House Civil Justice Committee.

On Wednesday, Sen Uecker will testify on Senate Bill 28, his proposal to mandate cremation or burial of aborted fetal remains. The bill is a response to a [bogus] video alleged to show Planned Parenthood engaging in the sale of fetal remains, something that investigations—including one by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine—found to be untrue. This unnecessary and costly requirement would be another in a long list of efforts to create undue burdens on women exercising their constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. SB28 gets its first hearing in the Senate Government Oversight & Reform committee on Wednesday at 9:45 a.m.

In more encouraging news, House Bill 1, a bipartisan proposal to address disparities in the handling of domestic violence cases involving unmarried intimate partners, will also be heard in committee this week. HB1 would allow victims of dating violence to seek court-issued protection orders and access to shelter facilities. The hearing takes place on Wednesday at 4pm in the House Civil Justice Committee.

Feb 07 2017

24 years later, it’s time for the next step beyond the FMLA: paid leave

This past Sunday marked the 24^th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The passage of which now provides most American workers with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job protected leave per year to care for an aging or ill family member, bond with or care for a newborn or adopted child, or address one’s own health issue. While the FMLA was a landmark piece of legislation in addressing the duel demands of work and family responsibilities, it falls short of providing many working families with the kind of leave they really need: paid leave. The United States is the only developed nation without some form of guaranteed paid leave, meaning that for those that do not have access to a paid leave policy through their employer are forced to choose between a paycheck and caring for a loved one. Innovation Ohio has been a leading force behind the campaign for paid leave in Ohio. After releasing a report on the state of paid leave and benefits of the policy for women, families, employers, and local communities in May of 2015, we worked with the elected officials in Dayton, Cincinnati, and Summit County to enact Ohio’s first municipal paid parental leave policies and continue to work with local elected leaders across the state to advance the policy at the local level in Ohio. The village of Newburgh Heights, Ohio also made national news by passing the most progressive paid leave policy; providing men and women access to 6 months of 100% paid time off following the birth or adoption of a child. After this wave of support at the local level, we worked alongside state lawmakers to introduce legislation for a state-wide paid family and medical leave program for the first time in Ohio’s history. Last year, we brought together these local and state lawmakers, paid leave experts, and family advocates for a Department of Labor #LeadonLeave Roundtable featuring Labor Secretary Tom Perez where we discussed the growing support for paid leave among workers, businesses, and elected officials on both sides of the aisle and ways that we could move the policy forward at the local and state level. From the conversations we have with business leaders and elected officials, to new policy wins at the local level, to the continued release of new evidence pointing to the overwhelming benefits of the policy, and to each opportunity we have to lift up this policy among our networks, all of our work on this issue has added to the groundswell that will evenutally lead to the passage of a federal paid leave policy. Today, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D – N.Y.) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D – Conn.) brought our country one step closer to providing the kind of policy working families want, need, and deserve by re-introducing national paid family and medical leave legislation called the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act (FAMILY Act). Only 14% of US workers have access to paid family leave, but there is momentum growing across the country for a national policy. It’s time that we take the next step beyond unpaid leave provided by the FMLA, and bring access to a leave policy that works for all working families by passing a national paid leave policy that is affordable, inclusive, substantial, comprehensive, and secure. The FAMILY Act checks all of those boxes, and is exactly the kind of policy that we need to provide support to working families struggling to balance responsibilities at home and in the workplace. #PaidLeaveChecklist

Add your voice: Join paid leave advocates today, February 7th at 2:00 PM for a twitter storm to celebrate the 24th anniversary of the FMLA, and call for a national paid leave policy. Use #FMLA24 to join the conversation. Stay engaged: Sign up for our policy alerts to stay informed and engaged about efforts happening here in Ohio to advance paid leave and other family-friendly legislation. Get informed: Learn more about the coalition – convened by the National Partnership for Women & Families – working to advance a national paid leave policy, which Innovation Ohio has been active in from the state-level.

Jan 25 2017

White Males Well Represented in Ohio House Leadership

Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger recently announced the leaders for the House’s 21 standing committees. Female representatives will head just two.

houe_leaders — Leaders of the Ohio House of Representatives’ 21 Standing Committees for 2017-2018

The leaders of the committees have a substantial amount of agency when it comes to which bills are heard and voted on. It is important that these leaders represent the diversity of Ohio’s population, but have historically failed to do so. Of the 42 committee Chair and Vice Chair positions in the current legislative cycle, just 19 percent are women. A startling 2 out of 21 committee chair positions—less than ten percent—are women. Of the ten other House leadership positions, there are just four women compared to three for the 131^st cycle. While this is a step in the right direction, women are still underrepresented in the state government (25 of 99 representatives are women) compared to Ohio’s general population—51 percent[1]. In the last session of the general assembly, there were 31 bills brought to the House on issues that affect women. It is important that women are well represented as leaders in legislative committees to support gender-equality in the legislature and across the state. [1] http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045216/39

Jan 19 2017

Keeping the momentum after the Women’s March on Washington

As thousands of Ohioans participate in the Women’s March on Washington and sister marches across the state, there is a need to ensure that the momentum to advance progress for women does not end with the marches. The Women’s Public Policy Network – a coalition of over 20 women’s advocacy organizations convened by Innovation Ohio Education Fund – provides a hub of resources and advocacy opportunities, including a newly-updated Women’s Economic Security Legislative Scorecard for Ohio’s 131^st General Assembly. Last summer, we announced the formation of the Women’s Public Policy Network with the release of a Legislative Scorecard to measure progress made by the 131st General Assembly to advance our policy agenda. Today, ahead of the Women’s March on Washington, we released a final, updated Scorecard reflecting activity that occurred during the final weeks of the “lame duck” legislative session. While we hoped the Lame Duck legislature would finish work on pending legislation to improve the lives of women and families, unfortunately that opportunity was missed and, instead, lawmakers set back the cause in several policy areas. Below are the highlights from the updated Scorecard:

Of the 22 policy goals outlined in the Scorecard, over two-thirds failed to score above a ‘D’ grade, and not a single policy goal earned an ‘A’
Despite the start of positive steps forward for women in this legislative session, little or nothing was done by the legislature to actually give traction to proactive bills, earning ‘D’ scores for 11 policy goals
3 policy goals had scores move in the wrong direction, dropping from ‘D’ grades to ‘F’ grades upon passage of SB 331 during lame duck, which included last-minute amendments added to prohibit cities from enacting minimum wage, worker benefits, or scheduling protections that go beyond state or federal set levels.
Lawmakers continued to advance legislation that restricts access to reproductive healthcare services: passing 2 unconstitutional abortion bans out of both chambers and earning 3 of the policy goals dealing with women’s healthcare ‘F’ scores
While the 6-week abortion ban, known as the ‘Heartbeat Bill’, was line-item vetoed by the Governor from the language of a bill it was added to as an amendment, a 20-week abortion ban with no expectations for rape, incest, or fetal anomalies was passed out of both chambers and eventually signed into law by the Governor
State lawmakers cited the incoming presidential administration and the promise of a new Supreme Court as the primary reason that they were emboldened to advance these abortion bans
Meanwhile, a number of proposals to restore access to reproductive health services (HB132, HB356, HB357, HB370, HB376, HB408, and SB101) were introduced in the legislature, but only three bills received one committee hearing each, and none made it out of committee
The only ‘C’ grade was earned by the policy goal dealing with protections against discrimination on the basis of pregnancy or caregiver status: Senate Bill 301, which would provide basic accommodations for pregnant women in the workplace, received 4 committee hearings resulting in a substitute version of the bill being introduced during lame duck, but ultimately did not end up advancing out of committee
There was a concerted effort to advance bills supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence earlier in the session, earning ‘B’ scores for the three policy goals relate to this issue
However, stating that a bill strengthening protection orders for victims of domestic violence (SB 76) was ‘too complicated’ to take up during lame duck after an amendment was added to extend domestic violence protections to intimate partners, the Ohio Senate failed to formally pass the legislation; leaving it as a high priority for next session

It’s even more important now for Ohioans to stay engaged, and the Women’s Public Policy Network can be a vital resource to stay in-the-know about what’s happening on the federal level, but – more importantly – on the state and local levels where we can make the most direct impact. Together, we can hold state lawmakers accountable for their actions through tools such as our Legislative Scorecard. Be sure to sign-up for the Women’s Public Policy Network email alerts to stay up-to-date on legislative updates and calls to action here. More details on the Women’s Public Policy Network and a full copy of the Scorecard can be found online, at womenspublicpolicynetwork.org.

Jan 12 2017

Get Involved, Get Engaged, Come Together and March

During President Barack Obama’s Farewell Address on Tuesday evening, he highlighted one of the most important pillars of our American democracy: civic engagement. He spoke of the need for citizens to take part in the democratic process by engaging in real, substantive conversations about issues with those that may disagree with us, participating in organizing efforts to fix a problem in our community, or even running for office ourselves. Reminiscing on his time organizing with faith groups in Chicago when he was in his 20s, President Obama shared that, “this is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged, and come together to demand it.” These words especially resonated with me as a new presidential administration – one which threatens the equal rights of women, minorities, immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and other marginalized groups – will enter the White House in the coming days. Those concerned with how to continue to advance progress and change for women under this new administration can do just as a young Barack Obama and organizers in Chicago took part in all those years ago: get involved, get engaged, come together and march. Around the Inauguration, tens of thousands of advocates, allies, organizers, and concerned citizens will mobilize for a Women’s March on Washington or join Sister Marches in cities across the nation. Marchers will demonstrate with a collective voice that they plan to work together to move change for women in the right direction and demand that women’s rights are not left behind under the new administration. You can get involved in one of the marches too, and become one of those engaged citizens President Obama underscored as a necessity to the future of our democracy. Here’s the information you need to participate in a Women’s March:

Columbus: Women’s March on Washington Ohio Sister March Date: Sunday, January 15, 2017 Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM [line-up starts at 12:30 PM] Location: Columbus, OH [Line-up for March at Washington Blvd between W Broad St and Town St (right behind COSI Science Center)] Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1839160356298611/

Chillicothe: Ross County Ohio Women’s Sister March Date: Saturday, January 21^st, 2017 Time: 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM Location: Ross County Courthouse, 2 North Paint Street, Chillicothe , OH 45601 Event Sign-Up: https://actionnetwork.org/events/ross-county-ohio-womens-sister-march

Cincinnati: Women’s March on Washington Sister March Date: Saturday, January 21^st, 2017 Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM Location: Cincinnati, OH [Line-up at Washington Park – 1230 Elm St, Cincinnati 45202] Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/620743914780648/permalink/623726294482410/

Cleveland: Women’s March on Cleveland Date: Saturday, January 21^st, 2017 Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Location: Cleveland, OH [Line-up at Public Sq, Cleveland, OH 44113, United States] Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/779232568896876/

Dayton: Rally in Support of Women’s March on Washington Date: Saturday, January 21^st, 2017 Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Location: Courthouse Square, 3rd & Main St in downtown Dayton Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1884247885139066/

Washington D.C: Women’s March on Washington Date: Saturday, January 21^st, 2017 Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Location: Washington, D.C. [Line-up at Independence Ave & Third St SW] Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2169332969958991/

The momentum from this movement cannot stop at the conclusion of these marches. We must remain engaged and active around policies and legislation in Ohio and DC that impact women. Sign up for Innovation Ohio’s alerts:

For Email Marketing you can trust.

Nov 04 2016

Women’s Groups Ask For Ohio Unemployment Fix

Yesterday, IO Policy Director Terra Goodnight spoke to a legislative committee considering changes to Ohio’s unemployment insurance system. On behalf of the Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network, Terra spoke about ways the state program disadvantages women who lose their jobs. Her testimony is below.

Terra Goodnight, Policy Director, Innovation Ohio Testimony to the Unemployment Compensation Reform Joint Committee November 3, 2016 Good afternoon Chairman Peterson and members of the Committee. My name is Terra Goodnight, and I am the Policy Director at Innovation Ohio, a policy and advocacy non-profit in Columbus. I am here today to speak on behalf of the Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network – a statewide coalition of organizations that advocate for policies that benefit women. Attached to my testimony is a copy of a letter signed by many of those partner organizations. I am here today because women have been mostly overlooked in the conversation about reforming Ohio’s Unemployment Compensation system. The program has real problems that go beyond the size of the trust fund, and those shortcomings disproportionately impact women. Ohio’s unemployment compensation eligibility rules are out of step with our state’s changing workforce. Because these rules favor higher-wage and full-time work, women—who are more likely to work for low-pay or part-time—are less likely to receive benefits than their male counterparts. One recent analysis showed that, over the past decade, women made up over 43 percent of Ohio’s unemployed, but just 36 percent of those receiving unemployment compensation.[1] There are a number of reasons for this gender gap. First, in order to collect benefits, Ohio requires laid-off workers to have earned a minimum average weekly wage of $243 that would be hard to achieve in many low-paying jobs. Under current rules, a minimum wage worker whose hours fluctuate between 25 and 30 hours a week is ineligible for benefits after becoming unemployed because they fail to take home the required weekly wage. In fact, in accommodations and food services, an industry where 57 percent of the workers are women, the typical worker in 34 Ohio counties earns too little to be eligible for unemployment.[2][3] Women are far more likely than men to work for low pay. Women in Ohio take home, on average, $478 per week – this drops to $410 if they are African American – compared to $710 for men.[4][5] Even if a part-time worker earns enough to qualify for benefits, if they seek anything less than a full-time job—even one with the exact same schedule as the job they lost—they remain ineligible under another of Ohio’s outdated rules. In Ohio, 43 percent of women work part-time, compared to just 29 percent of men. For many women, including myself, a non-traditional work week is the only way to balance work with the scheduling demands of a family, especially for the one in four Ohio families with children headed by a woman on her own. We should not preserve a system that discourages non-traditional, pro-family work schedules or that protects only those in high-paying jobs from falling into poverty. Ohio should expand its eligibility calculations to ensure even the lowest-paid workers are eligible for benefits when they lose their job. And Ohio should join the 30 states that currently allow unemployed workers to seek part-time positions and still receive unemployment benefits. Read the Letter from WPPN members. [1] West, Rachel, Indivar Dutta-Gupta, Kali Grant, Melissa Boteach, Claire McKenna, and Judy Conti. Where States Are and Where They Should Be on Unemployment Protections. Center for American Progress, National Employment Law Center and Center on Poverty and Inequality, Georgetown Law. July 7, 2016. http://www.nelp.org/content/uploads/Issue-Brief-State-Unemployment-Protections.pdf [2] U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2403 “Industry By Sex For the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and Over.” November 1, 2016. [3] Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, “Geographic Cross-Sections: All Counties in a State, One Industry: NAICS 72: Accommodation and Food Services.” November 1, 2016. [4] U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B20017 “Median Earnings In The Past 12 Months (In 2015 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) By Sex By Work Experience In The Past 12 Months For The Population 16 Years And Over With Earnings In The Past 12 Months” October 1, 2016. [5] U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B20017B “Median Earnings In The Past 12 Months (In 2015 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) By Sex By Work Experience In The Past 12 Months For The Population 16 Years And Over With Earnings In The Past 12 Months (Black or African American Alone)” October 31, 2016.

Oct 14 2016

Use the #FamiliesFirst Action Guide to Help Raise the Stakes for Women and Working Families in the Ohio US Senate Race

The Ohio US Senate Debates Must Put #FamiliesFirst

While it’s encouraging that issues impacting women and working families have entered the national spotlight during the 2016 election cycle—the discussion can’t stop there. Ohio voters deserve to hear from both Senate candidates on the issues that will have a direct impact on women and working families such as affordable child care, access to paid leave, raising the minimum wage, and addressing student debt. Every Ohio woman and working family should be able to make livable wages, take care of a new baby, family member, or recover from their own illnesses, to access affordable, high-quality child care, or get an education without being straddled with debt for decades. Ohio women and working families have too much at stake in 2016 to not hold your Senate candidates accountable for where they stand. Use this #FamiliesFirst toolkit to demand that Ted Strickland and Rob Portman put policies for women and working families at the forefront of the election and make these issues a central part of the Ohio US Senate race debates.