Week of April 28, 2005
Equal pay fight is on
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro introduced legislation last Tuesday to narrow the gap in wage parity. The Paycheck Fairness Act aims to address the disparity in pay that continues four decades after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. DeLauro and Clinton's act comes as homage to Equal Pay Day, April 19.
Today, women working full-time, year-round, make 76 cents to each male-earned dollar. Women face a net loss of $250,000 over the course of their careers.
The legislation would ensure the collection of data on women workers by the Department of Labor, despite the Bush administration's effort to stymie such information-gathering; create training programs for women to build their pay-negotiating skills; and strengthen equal pay laws already on the books.
Clinton and DeLauro joined with advocates from the National Partnership for Women and Families, the National Committee on Pay Equity, and many others to highlight the issue at a rally on Capitol Hill last Tuesday.
Maria Cantwell calls for an end to PATRIOT Act privacy violations
Liberty-loving librarians, bookstore owners, and civil rights advocates stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell at the Seattle Public Library Sunday to call on Congress to scale back the anti-freedom provisions in the federal PATRIOT Act.
As the law stands, the FBI can obtain orders allowing the secret confiscation of any citizen's library records or bookstore purchases with no cause, no notice, nor any requirement that the FBI prove the act has a connection to terrorism. Noting the flagrant violation of privacy rights, Cantwell called on her Senate colleagues not to blindly rubberstamp reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act, saying, "National security is the top concern, but it doesn't have to come at the expense of our civil liberties."
Cantwell also called on the Senate to stop stalling and review the measure she co-sponsored, the Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act, which would require government investigators to show a connection between the records they are seeking and a suspected terrorist or spy.
Right-wing blogger attacks Kathy Castor
Kathy Castor, who announced April 4th that she is running for Congress from Florida's 11th congressional district, is already a subject of discussion on right-wing blogs. The commentary comes from www.redstate.org, a site that bills itself as "a Republican community weblog." A conservative blogging under the nom de plume "Thomas" calls Castor "and those like her ... the future of her Party" and "the Democrats' bench team." Then, after building Castor up, "Thomas" says, "we need to kneecap them now."
After sizing Castor up and enumerating her assets he writes, "One decade of losing is not sufficient to break these talented folks of their attachment to the Democrat [sic] Party."
Strangely enough, he unwittingly echoes the mission of EMILY's List's Political Opportunity Program (POP) in his critique of Castor. Knowing the importance of building depth in the party and a pipeline for future candidates, he vows to "break these Democrat [sic] up and comers."
The web-savvy GOPer also offers advice on winning races: "by yanking out a spiked pipe and working over one's opponent while he lies cowering on the ground."
Janet Napolitano vetoes alcohol-firearms bill
In Arizona on Monday, Governor Janet Napolitano vetoed a bill that would have allowed gun-owners to bring loaded firearms into alcohol-serving restaurants and bars. The move was applauded by law enforcement officials and restaurant owners. The executive director of the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police, said, "Guns don't mix with booze any better than driving has."
Although both chambers of Arizona's legislature are controlled by Republicans, the lawmakers in favor of the bill do not appear to have the votes needed to override Napolitano's final verdict.
Napolitano's poll numbers reflect her common-sense lawmaking (and bill-breaking, as in this case): recent polls show her approval ratings in the low 70s, with 30 to 54 points between her and her likely Republican opponents.
Napolitano also signed a bill that equalizes the penalties for rape and spousal rape. Previously, spousal rape carried a lesser sentence than organizing a dogfight in Arizona. Now, it carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison as a Class 2 felony.
Christine Gregoire scores gains for biomedical research
Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire scored a dramatic victory Saturday when state lawmakers passed her Life Sciences Discovery Fund for biomedical research.
Making Washington state a center for cutting-edge biomedical research is a signature issue for Gregoire, and one she campaigned on heavily in 2004. She expects the Life Sciences Discovery Fund to produce more than 20,000 new jobs and put Washington on the path to becoming a world leader in health and agricultural research.
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown (who recently won re-election with the help of EMILY's List's Political Opportunity Program) sponsored the bill in the Senate, which narrowly squeaked by in a 25-24 vote.
Brown expressed her enthusiasm for the fund's benefits to the Tri-City Herald. "This is a determined attempt to focus the state's resources to be more economically competitive and push forward research in areas where we already have a competitive advantage," she said.
Gregoire's leadership as Washington state's first woman attorney general (1993-2005) played a part in this important victory. The Life Sciences Discovery Fund biomedical research project will be funded in part by the money Gregoire won for Washington as lead attorney for 46 states in a lawsuit against the tobacco industry.