In just 7 months, we have collected over 1000 progressive women throughout Missouri and we’re still going strong. WooHoo! After a few celebratory happy dances, we are continuing to search for more women to “Bring to the Table” (who may not be politically connected yet) before that super big election coming in 2016.
Since our Missouri ProgressWomen event kickoff last December, we’ve been to Jefferson City, St. Louis, Kansas City, Mizzou and met a gaggle of fabulous women. Incredibly generous hosts have emptied their address books & provided snacks and attendees have referred their best friends. We send a HUGE shout out to marvelous hosts & worker-bee sidekicks: Judy Sherry, Jessica Podhola, Pam Rich, Susan Cook, Taunia Adams, Eva Woods, Lindsey Terry Schwartz, Blythe Burkhardt, St. Louis Alderwoman Megan Green, Aimee Knebel and Lindsay Pattan.
Seriously, we we’ve had tons of fun! But we’re not done. We are planning additional ProgressWomen events in the next few months, including one at Washington University in St. Louis. If you’d like to host a ProgressWomen event (in Missouri for now) or can refer women who need to “Be At The Table”, please contact me right away at Stacey.Newman@house.mo.gov.
———————————–
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Before we get into the gritty details, do you know who represents you in your State Capitol? In Congress? Get them easily confused? Don’t be alarmed. Look up your Missouri state and federal electeds HERE. (If you’re outside of Missouri, please find your electeds online too). Memorize, tattoo them on your hand and keep the list on your desktop.
If you don’t know who represents you, frankly you are in the dark. These are the people making policy decisions that affect you. We can’t urge you enough to learn who are your electeds. And while you’re at it, encourage your friends also.
———————————-
WHAT EXACTLY IS HAPPENING IN THE MISSOURI STATE CAPITOL?
In the past few days a second legislator has resigned after yet ONE MORE sexual harassment scandal regarding a female intern.
State Sen. Paul LeVota (D-Independence) resigned this past Friday evening after public pressure mounted: KANSAS CITY STAR – SEN. PAUL LEVOTA RESIGNS AMIDST SEXUAL HARASSMENT ACCUSATIONS. Jackson County Legislator Crystal Williams, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, Sen. Jill Schupp, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce and I issued a joint statement prior to his resignation:
“The Missouri General Assembly needs to take all appropriate actions against any official responsible for sexual harassment. It also needs to show that this tpe of reprehensible behavior will not be tolerated by taking specific steps to create a safe and professional environment for all employees, including unpaid interns. Sen. LeVota must do what is needed to restore the public’s trust.”
Sen. LeVota’s resignation follows on the heels of House Speaker John Diehl who stepped down this past May after a similiar inappropriate situation. You’re asking “What on Earth is Going on in Jefferson City”??
Steve Kraske of the Kansas City Star said it best – DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH OVER BIG CHANGES FOR WOMEN IN JEFFERSON CITY.
All the more reason we need More Women at the Table, including women running for office. We must hold those in leadership accountable for the safety and well being for all women who work in the Capital, whether interns, staff or legislators. Many of us women have personal stories of harassment there, including avoiding certain men when getting on an elevator. It’s going to take all of our voices insisting that this Mad Men anti-women culture simply stop. Stop mentioning our body parts, stop belittling us in hearings and on the floor – and for sure, stop with the restrictive bills telling us how to manage our private reproductive decisions. The legislature sadly consists of less than 25% elected women. Changing that ratio will help change the culture.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT THIS HARASSMENT NONSENSE:
1. Email Speaker Todd Richardson and ask what his office is going to do to keep women safe from sexual harassment – todd.richardson@house.mo.gov
2. Contact YOUR LEGISLATOR and ask the same.
3. Share this email with every woman you know and get them to do the same.
4. Demand your Facebook friends do the same (be an activist with YOUR network).
5. Write an op-ed, blog post, letter to the editor and express YOUR outrage that our State Capitol is NOT free from sexual harasment.
6. Encourage a dynamite woman to run for a legislative seat or RUN YOURSELF. Filing for 2016 opens the end of February.
7. Refer every woman you know to ProgressWoman – LIKE us on Facebook & follow on Twitter @progresswomenus. Repost, retweet & help make noise.
NEXT STEPS = VETO SESSION SEPTEMBER 16TH
The Missouri State Legislature has adjourned for the year (whew!) – but goes back into Veto Session on September 16th for one more vote on anything the Governor has vetoed (up to the House & Senate as to what they bring up).
Good News! NO awful reproductive or bad gun bill vetoes to defend. But here is our watch list this year:
HB 42 (CHARTER SCHOOLS/TRANSFER FIX) – omnibus bill NOT fixing transfers of those in accredited districts – House Vote 84-73, Senate Vote 23-11
HB 63 (ELECTIONS) – omnibus bill that prohibits former superintendents from running for schools boards – House Vote 111-49, Senate Vote 24-9 (partisan votes)
WE’VE GOT A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US
Check us out online. Open up your address book & refer us every progressive woman you know. Don’t forget to follow on Twitter @ProgressWomenUs & LIKE on Facebook @ProgressWomen.
You’ve heard this before – “it’s going to take a village”. You in?
In Solidarity,
Missouri State Rep. Stacey Newman, ProgressWomen founder