Missouri NOW State Newsletter

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MISSOURI
Missouri NOW State Council
We need state officer candidates for President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Two At-Large members representing members from across the state. Elections will be part of our state meeting Saturday, September 21 beginning at 11:00 a.m. If you want to volunteer as a candidate or nominate someone else please contact Jamie Tomek at jtomek@ nemonet.com. 573-3243668 (leave a message if I’m not home) Our council meets 2 – 3 times a year and we do emails to work together. Each chapter has 2 representatives on the state council. Others are welcome to attend meetings.

NEWS
Summer Issue // 2013

President’s Corner

Jamie Tomek, Missouri NOW President

Missouri NOW’s facebook page is wonderful. I keep up to date about women’s issues across the state and country. Knowing about state troopers in Texas confiscating tampons in the Texas capitol, what the Supreme Court decisions meant for women, where Medicaid hearings were being held in Missouri and what the “tinfoil hat crowd” was up to in Jefferson City are much simpler on our facebook page. Give us a like and join in. Eleven of us from Missouri traveled to Chicago for the National NOW Convention. What an experience. We had great speakers, learned a lot and had a great time. Writing a resolution and watching Caleb gather signatures and then present the petition on the floor was an amazing experience. Others asked important questions of our leadership and raised questions in discussion. Thanks to everyone who represented Missouri. In August we will celebrate the 93rd anniversary of women getting the vote in St Louis at the Crown Plaza Hotel on Saturday, August 24. We’ll get a legislative report, present awards to deserving women. See the flyer
continued on Page 2

Equal Rights Amendment in Missouri and Illinois
“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” --Text of the Equal Rights Amendment

Missouri and Illinois AAUW have received a small grant to work on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the US Constitution. Missouri NOW will also be involved. The purpose of the grant is to raise awareness about what the ERA is, why it hasn’t yet become a part of the Constitution, and how individuals can help move it forward. We are planning a series of actions beginning with a planning meeting in the fall (date yet to be decided), a citizen lobby corps in the Missouri capitol in Jefferson City from January to mid-May during the legislative session, and a public event such as a rally or march in the spring. We hope many of you will get involved.

For more information and to find out if your Representative and Senator are cosponsors, you can go to one of the ERA websites such as equalrightsamendment.org. Efforts to get state legislatures to ratify the ERA have taken place in Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, Florida, and several other unratified states recently.

Another important development was passage of a resolution at the National NOW conference in Chicago on July 7 that requires NOW’s political action committees (PACs) to rate candidates on their support for the ERA, including both the three-state strategy and the start-over ERA. NOW PACs will not endorse candidates who do not support One of the obstacles is that many people both options. This should send a message believe that the ERA is already a part of to candidates about the importance of ERA. the Constitution. Though Congress passed it by an overwhelming margin in 1972, The recent war on women shows us only 35 states ratified it within the time why we need to work for a constitutional limit Congress set for its approval by state guarantee of equality. Wisconsin recently legislatures. Originally this was seven years, repealed it’s Equal Pay Act. Missouri’s but it was later extended to ten. In 1982 legislature has twice voted to repeal the when the deadline passed without enough part of its Human Rights Act that protects states having ratified the Amendment, it was workers from discrimination on the job and reintroduced in Congress. But in 1992, when twice the Governor has vetoed it. These the 27th Amendment became part of the are only some of the many attacks on our Constitution after a period of more than 200 rights around the country. We encourage years, three law students began research on everyone to get involved in the effort to make constitutional amendments and concluded constitutional equality a reality in our lifetimes. that we should work to get 3 more states to ratify the Amendment while asking Congress Follow Missouri NOW on Facebook to set aside the deadline. Thus the three- and check our webpage for updates state strategy was born. Currently, bills to set and announcements of upcoming aside the deadline are awaiting co-sponsors events in which you can participate. in both houses of Congress.

Current Officers
Vice-President: Caleb-Michael Files Treasurer: Darla Horman Secretary: Claire Major National Board Members: Jocelyn Morris Caleb-Michael Files

President: Jamie Tomek

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Missouri NOW Newsletter

PRESIDENT’S CORNER continued from Page 1
we’ve enclosed in this letter. Saturday, September 21 join us in Columbia for our Missouri State Conference. We’ll learn about Missouri’s implementation of Affordable Health Care (Obamacare) from Tom McAuliffe of the Missouri Foundation for Health. We will work on developing a strategy for legislative impact in Missouri, elect state officers, and more, We’ll have one workshop on sexual assault and we are still planning. Cost is $20.00 that includes lunch and snacks. There is a sliding scale available. We will be at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 2615 Shepard Boulevard, Columbia, MO 65201 We need to raise money for our Missouri NOW Political Action Committee. Last year we made small donations to Pro-Women legislative candidates and we would like to increase those donations in the coming election. Do you have an item to donate for a silent auction or raffle? Join us in Columbia on September 21. We’ve enclosed more information in this newsletter.

National Officers elected in Chicago.
At the NOW National Conference in Chicago last month, National Officers were elected. The National Convention was held in Chicago the first week of July, announcing a special focus on two main issues nationally: marriage equality and social security. Several hundred women and men attended the conference, which included workshops, plenary speeches, elections and awards. NOW members re-elected Terry O’Neill president of the largest grassroots feminist organization in the country by acclamation. The other members of O’Neill’s team elected by acclamation were Bonnie Grabenhofer of Illinois as action vice president and Chitra Panjabi of Washington, D.C., as membership vice president. They will serve as NOW’s executive officers for the next four years. Grabenhofer lead two marriage equality-focused workshops. The first, on July 5, featured Illinois state Rep. Kelly Cassidy discussing the state’s marriage bill; Abi Green, NOW Field Organizer; and Shawn Phetteplace, with the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. Abi Green also spoke at a Saturday workshop with Grabenhofer and Caroline Staerk of Equality Illinois, who focused on lobbying happening for the Illinois marriage equality bill. Other speakers at the conference included women elected officials and longtime feminist activists from across the U.S., including: U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly; former U.S. Sen Carole Moseley Braun; Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle; former NOW President Patricia Ireland; author Sara Paretsky; and Feminist Majority Foundation’s Eleanor Smeal and Alice Cohan. Heather Booth and Jeanne Galatzer-Levy accepted a NOW award on behalf of the pre-1973 (pre-Roe v. Wade) underground abortion group Jane. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky received the Woman of Impact award. Patricia Ruess received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 26th Annual Equality Day Brunch
The 26th Annual Equality Day Brunch, which celebrates the 93rd anniversary of women getting the vote, will take place on Saturday, August 24, 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M., at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 7750 Carondelet, Clayton, MO. The Brunch and program cost is $37.00 and is sponsored by the Missouri Women’s Network. This year’s main speaker has not been firmed up yet but will be an exceptional woman likes last year’s Title IX speakers, Kathy Bull and Lori Flanagan. There will also be presentations about election, legislative and equity issues of interest to women and awards to three special Missouri women Pat Rich, Jeanette Mott Oxford and Margo McMillan. Registration Form is included in this Newsletter. Make checks payable to Missouri Women’s Network and mail to Julie Triplett, 401 Oakmont Circle, Ballwin, MO 63011, by August 17th. Information for putting ads in the 2013 Equality Day program book is also attached to this email. Contact Diane Ludwig, at 573.642.464 or DBLudwig22@ aol.com , for details. Display tables are available by contacting Pat Shores at 636.938.3958 or [email protected] for more information.

photo // flickr.com

Chapter Reports
The Local Newspaper

Page 3

KC Metro NOW Columbia Area Staying Busy in Kansas City NOW
KC Metro hosted the State Council meeting in May at the Kansas City public library and then we celebrated with Gates Barbeque heading home. We had a successful Bingo night at Hamburger Mary’s and raised over $400 for our chapter which will go towards our Love Your Body/ ReDefining Beauty party in October.

Busy, Busy, Busy


By: Seileach Corleigh

We then attended the July 18th Planned Parenthood Community Visibility Day, and plan to be there for the next one on July 31 from 5pm to 6pm. Upcoming events include: a Peoples’ Visioning program on energy(renewables vs. fracking and other wasteful options) 7pm on Aug. 29 at the Columbia public library, an anti-Hobby Lobby demonstration at 11am on Sept. 7 at the Hobby Lobby in Columbia, and the Fall 2013 “40 Days Defending Choice” campaign 4:30pm to 6:30pm every day from Sept. 25 through Nov. 3 at the Planned Parenthood in Columbia(711 N. Providence). Our chapter meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7pm at the Hy-Vee Deli at Broadway and Fairview in Columbia. Drop by or contact us at columbiamonow@ yahoo.com or on Facebook to give your input or for more information about our activities!

Several of our chapter members attended the Nat’l NOW convention in Chicago and had a great time. We were inspired by many of the speakers and learned about social activism around the country and were encouraged by many of the people we met. It was a great experience.


Northeast (NEMO) MO NOW
Anti-Discrimination in Kirksville
Northeast Missouri NOW attended a city council meeting in Kirksville when an antidiscrimination ordinance was up for a vote and they stood as a choice chain in January. More discussion on the future of the chapter will come in September.


Our chapter has had a very active past few months. We signed on as a co-sponsor of the Peoples’ Visioning group, a local coalition of organizations and individuals that seeks progressive community-building over a wide variety of issues(more info at columbiaclimatechangecoalition. org) and have been regularly attending their events. We had our Spring 2013 “40 Days Defending Choice” campaign from Feb. 14 through March 24. Then April was very “eventful”! We participated in the Pro-Medicaid Rally at the State Capitol on April 16, had a booth at Columbia’s Earth Day Festival at which we got people to sign letters to their Senators against abortion bill HB 400, and marched around the State Capitol with Missouri Women United on April 27. Next, we brought NOW presence to the nationwide March Against Monsanto on May 25 in Columbia, and also at the local Planned Parenthood’s Community xVisibility Day on June 26. Also, on June 20, we co-sponsored the Peoples’ Visioning(see above) event on organic food, GMOs, and food security/safety to promote people taking back their community’s food from Big Ag. Several of our members represented our chapter at NOW’s National Conference July 5 - 7 and were instrumental in getting a transfriendly resolution on the agenda.

National Board
Well Represented on the National Board


Jocelyn Morris of St Roberts, MO chairs the NOW national task force on racism. We are fortunate to have elected Caleb-Michael Files of Kansas City to also serve on the board of directors. Caleb is looking forward to serving in this capacity. We’ll expect to hear great things. Jocelyn will be providing major leadership as next year’s convention focuses on racism in Albuquerque. Watch for more information. 


Page 4

Missouri NOW Newsletter

YOU BET I want to stand with other Feminists in Columbia, Missouri to fight back against the attacks on Women
2013 Missouri NOW State Conference Pricing

Missouri NOW
mail to (postmarked by September 14th): Missouri NOW 2013 State Conference 215 S. Cuivre Street Bowling Green, MO 63334

make checks payable to:

Preregistration - [ ] All Day ($20) [ ] Morning ($10) - No Lunch [ ] Afternoon ($10) - No Lunch Late Registration - [ ] All Day ($25) [ ] Morning ($15) - No Lunch [ ] Afternoon ($15) - No [ ] Booth $20 (includes one lunch) Ad in 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 conference program (send graphics to [email protected]) [ ] 1/8 Page $5 [ ] 1/4 Page $10 [ ] 1/2 Page $18 [ ] Full Page $35 Send in form, postmarked by September 14th, 2013, or register online at missourinow. eventbrite.com bySeptember 14th. Preregistration check/money order must either be enclosed or paid online by September  14th. Late Registration allows you to pay at the conference, but form must be postmarked by September14th. Ads/Booths must be prepaid by September 14 (postmark or online). Sliding Scale Available.  Contact: [email protected] 573-324-3668 or[email protected] 310-622-5629

NAME/ORGANIZATION _____________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS _______________________________________________________________________________________________ CITY, STATE ZIP ___________________________________________________________________________________________ PHONE _________________________________________________________________________________________________ EMAIL _________________________________________________________________________________________________

YOU CAN REGISTER ONLINE AT missourinow.eventbrite.com

Missouri NOW P.O. BOX 16142 Saint Louis, MO 63105-0842 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage Paid St. Louis, MO Permit No. 980

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