Breakfast with Shannon Smith-Breakfast with Shannon Smith-CrowleyCrowley

AAUW California Legislative Advocate

AAUW California Public Policy Update

Public Policy CommitteePublic Policy CommitteeSue Miller, Vice President and Public Policy Director

Members• Karen Jackle• Gloria Leonard• Nancy Mahr• Norma Maidel• Shelley Mitchell• Val Muchowski• Claire Noonan• Adair Paul• Judy Pfeil• Gloria Taylor• Roz Wright

Shannon Smith-Crowley, Legislative Advocate

Goals for this morning’s Goals for this morning’s presentationpresentation

• Know what’s happening now in Sacramento• Broad environment and details• Tools to keep up to date

Legislative StructureLegislative Structure

Two houses – Assembly (80) and

Senate (40)

Term LimitsTerm Limits

• Three 2-year terms in Assembly• Two 4-year terms in Senate• Governor – Two 4-year terms

2012 Legislative Year2012 Legislative Year

2nd year of 2 year session, last day of session - August 31, 2012

2,000 – 3,000 bills introduced each year

BackdropBackdrop

• NEW - open primary in June

• NEW - redistricting with a twist

• Independent Commission created boundaries

• Massive state budget deficit/cash flow crisis

• 2012 Presidential election

• Efforts through the country to restrict or rescind women's rights

Critical year for decisions to be Critical year for decisions to be

made on Affordable Care Act made on Affordable Care Act

implementationimplementation

• Issues Abortion Benchmark plans/essential health benefit Network Adequacy Ability to access confidential services Affordability

• Supreme Court decision - California response if ACA rescinded in whole or part

How We WorkHow We Work

Importance of coalitions and partners

•California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom•League of Women Voters•California NOW•Commission on the Status of Women•Office of Women's Health•Ed Source•AARP•Legislative Women’s Caucus•California Women Lead

• LACK OF FOCUS ON WOMEN

• DECREASE IN WOMEN LEGISLATORS

• 28.3% of California legislators are women

 

Moving away from focus on women/gender issues – lawmakers thinking equity achieved?

•California Commission on The Status of Women•Office of Women’s Health•Foundations

Examples of lack of gender Examples of lack of gender focusfocus

Research – not long ago women were thought of as just smaller men, no studies – now better

understanding of heart disease and women - #1 killer of women (video link - http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7wmPWTnDbE)

Example of lack of gender Example of lack of gender focusfocus

Female crash test dummies only were included beginning in 2010

Results – Five star ratings became TWO star ratings for women

Example of lack of gender Example of lack of gender focusfocus

• Increasing maternal mortality rates

• African American Women die at almost 4 times that of other groups

• Lack of support for women choosing to be mothers

Had enough?Had enough?First step - Save theseFirst step - Save these

vital institutionsvital institutions

• Time to take action –• Fight the elimination of the California

Commission on the Status of Women• Fight the elimination of the California Office of

Women’s Health• Sign up to be a Two-Minute Activists

TAKE ACTION!Action Alert: California

AAUW CaliforniaAAUW California

Legislative Agenda for 2012Legislative Agenda for 2012• High Priority

State Budget• Education

K-12 Community College Higher Education

• Safety Net CalWorks Cal Fresh

• Health Program Eligibility Program Integrity

High Priority LegislationHigh Priority Legislation

• AB 1756 – Knight (Oppose)

• AB 2039 – Swanson (Support)

• AB 2330 – Olson (Oppose)

• SB 721 – Lowenthal (Support)

• SB 1193 – Steinberg (Support)

• SB 1345 – Evans (Support)

research

Other bills Other bills

See your bill grid

To get more details go to bill tracking online –

AAUW California Website

Public Policy tab

AAUW CA Positions on 2012 Legislation

Updated on a daily basis

AAUW California Website Bill AAUW California Website Bill TrackingTracking

ReportReport

Bill PageBill Page

Want Updates on Bill Want Updates on Bill Activity?Activity?

SUBSCRIBE

To “subscribe” to a bill go to www.leginfo.ca.gov

Initiatives - JuneInitiatives - June

November 2012 InitiativesNovember 2012 Initiatives

 Initiatives and Referenda Cleared for Circulation (63)

 Initiatives and Referenda Pending Signature Verification (2)

 Initiatives and Referenda Failed to Qualify (16)

 Initiatives and Referenda Pending at the Attorney General's Office (4)

Competing Initiatives for Competing Initiatives for Revenues for SchoolsRevenues for Schools

Brown/CTA

Molly Munger

Potential November 2012 Potential November 2012 InitiativesInitiatives

Parental Notification of Minor’s Abortion

Personhood

Lots to do – all hands on Lots to do – all hands on deck!deck!

Partner With AAUW CA in Voter Education!It’s My Vote:  I Will Be Heard!

 Issues of importance to women – educational equity, retirement security, a fair and balanced judiciary, civil rights, workplace equity, reproductive rights, health care reform, and equal pay – are at stake each time Americans go to the ballot box. Many of these are at risk for women in the current political environment, and will be important in the 2012 election. AAUW CA has begun a Voter Education/Voter Registration Campaign to encourage women voters to get involved in the political process.

FUTURE ISSUESFUTURE ISSUES

• Ongoing budget crisis Education, CalWORKS, Social Services, health

• Initiative reform• Environmental toxins

Keep gender focus to advance equity for women

Tools to stay updatedTools to stay updated

AAUW California website

Bill tracking - http://ct3k1.capitoltrack.com/public/publish.aspx?session=11&id=86d18572-6c2d-4694-9cb8-0ff25d633472

AAUW California Facebook page AAUW Action Alert

State site - www.leginfo.ca.gov - look up and subscribe to bill changes, research laws, find your legislator

• California Budget Project - www.cbp.org Report - Falling Behind: The Effect of the Great Recession on

Women and Families• California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom -

www.reproductivefreedomca.org• National Conference of State Legislators – www.ncsl.org• California Commission on the Status of Women –

www.women.ca.gov• California Office of Women’s Health –

www.cpdh.ca.gov/programs/owh• Federal Office of Women’s Health -

http://www.womenshealth.gov/heartattack/• Legislative Calendar -

http://assembly.ca.gov/legislativedeadlines• California Women Lead – www.cawomenlead.org

Other Organizations Other Organizations and Resourcesand Resources

Even More ResourcesEven More Resources

• Legislative Analyst Office - www.lao.ca.gov• Secretary of State - ballot initiatives - www.sos.ca.gov• California Citizens Redistricting Commission –

www.wedrawthelines.org• Ballot Initiative Strategy Center - http://www.ballot.org/

Insider TrackInsider Track

• The Nooner - http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/nooner/• Around the Capitol - http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/• Rough & Tumble - http://www.rtumble.com/• Capitol Weekly – www.capitolweekly.net

Thank you for attending!Thank you for attending!

Shannon Smith-Crowley, JD, MHALegislative Advocate

shannon@partnersadvocacy.com 

916.457.5217 (office)916.457.5215 (fax)

916.717.4936 (mobile) 

2641 Montgomery WaySacramento CA 95818-3945www.partnersadvocacy.com

It’s My Vote – I Will Be It’s My Vote – I Will Be Heard!Heard!

• Opportunities for BranchesoHelp shape change through women’s

voteoOutreach into communityoMembership recruitment – students,

faculty at partner colleges/universities, women in coalition groups

oMake this election about issues important to women!

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It’s My Vote – I Will Be It’s My Vote – I Will Be Heard!Heard!

• Branch InvolvementoWork within your branchoWork with College/University Partnerso Form Coalitions with other women’s

groupsoOrganize candidate forums, especially

where redistricting has taken place

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It’s My Vote – I Will Be It’s My Vote – I Will Be Heard!Heard!

• Resources Available to Your Brancho California Secretary of State, County

Elections Board – www.sos.ca.govo AAUW CA Public Policy Committeeo Websites: www.aauw-ca.org,

www.aauw.orgo Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout Manualo Position Papers on Reproductive Rights,

Education, Safety Net, Social Security, Safe Campuses and Communities

o League of Women Voters for Candidate Forums

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You Will Be Heard!You Will Be Heard!

“The Vote is the tool with which women must end all

discrimination against them.” – Alice Paul

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