Member of TN BPW/USA

Legislative notes:

4/15/09: Nashville, TN. Harmful Mandatory Joint Custody Bill stopped in TN House subcommittee. Rep. Johnny Shaw who represents some of our members was a key no vote! BPW Jackson members: State President Carol Turpen, Past Local President Linda Higgins, and Beth Bates lobbied this issue in person with Rep. Shaw at Woman’s Day on the Hill held 3/18/09. Just as important, members lobbied by e-mail. Lobbying by e-mail can be easy and fun; visit the new Tennessee General Assembly web site at http://www.capitol.tn.gov/.

Other important state bills include: HB 1532 Emergency Care for Rape Victims and HB 1729 Strangulation---making this common domestic violence offense aggravated assault without the present requirement of prolonged loss of consciousness.

3/31/09 Washington D. C. BPW Jackson members lobby Rep. John Tanner, Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator Bob Corker concerning S. 182, the Paycheck Fairness Act. Members thanked Rep. Tanner for voting in favor of the bill which passed the House in January. Senator Alexander is the ranking minority member on the Senate HELP committee (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions). The Paycheck Fairness Act would among other things, eliminate the penalty for discussing salaries including your own in the workplace, modernize the 1963 Equal Pay Act to treat gender pay discrimination treated the same as race discrimination. For more information about this act and federal legislation important to women and BPW, visit htthttp://www.Thomas.gov

Other important issues lobbied by BPW on 3/31 included proposed legislation creating and promoting Auto-IRAs, Retirement Security for Women, better Health Care for Women Veterans and the Healthy Families Act which would provide a minimum amount of paid sick leave.

4/7/09: Jackson, TN. The Jackson City Council hears a proclamation issued by the city and county mayors recognizing Equal Pay Day, the Wage Gap and Jackson BPW’s 90^th Birthday. The citizens of Jackson are reminded of the same during the month of April by a billboard placard posted on a city bus!

Legislative links:

Nashville Women’s Political Caucus: http://www.nashvillewpc.com/legislative.htm

BPWUSA www.bpwusa.org

BPW Foundation www.bpwfoundation.org