WoMN Focus

Despite being snowed in, today Congress is taking up a jobs bill in Washington.  Just in time for Rep. John Kline to promote his vision for pulling Minnesota, and the rest of the nation, out of the current economic stall and into something resembling actual economic growth.  So what is this vision for rebuilding the American economy, and thus, the American middle class?

Why, it’s to do nothing.  Of course.

Despite the fact that health care expenditures threaten to eat up nearly two-thirds of our national budge, Kline advocates hitting the pause button on health care reform.  Despite the fact that our nation’s military is strained to dangerous levels, Kline advocates against repealing the odious Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy that prevents thousands of Americans from enlisting and serving openly.  And when it comes to creating a domestic policy that would create jobs and rebuild crumbling infrastructure like with the Stimulus package, Kline’s response has been to, you guessed it, do nothing.

Now Kline has taken that do nothing approach one step further, parroting protectionist talking points as he gears up for reelection.  His most recent mailer praises his efforts at protecting Minnesota’s economy and jobs.  If he was really interested in protecting the economy he would be advocating strongly for health care reform–and meaningful reform that actually provides expansive coverage and meaningful cost control and consumer protection guarantees since rising health care costs are the single greatest threat to long-term sustainable economic recovery facing this state and the nation.

Tackling health care reform is also a great way to build jobs.  Health care compliance, administration, and servicing is one of the fastest growing employment sectors both locally and nationally and even groups like UnitedHealth and Mayo acknowledge that reform efforts will likely require them to recruit and hire new employees.  If Kline were truly interested in protecting Minnesota’s economy he would be working towards enabling growth in our strongest, and most dependable industries like health care.

This do nothing, wait and see approach serves only one interest and that is not the welfare of Minnesota.  It is the obstructionist agenda of the Republican party.  So in a sense, Minnesota does need some protection–protection from the likes of John Kline. 

originally posted on Minnesota Progressive Project

Trust women

Access to comprehensive reproductive care as a right is a dream many women in America will never achieve. Many states put so many restrictions on abortion access that women have no doctors to turn to. Geographic isolation can be one of the greatest barriers to women’s health care in the nation.

Abortionaccess.org

Women in places such as Mississippi, Kentucky, West Virginia and Arkansas share a troubling commonality – they all live in states with the least accessible abortion services in the United States.  Because of where they live, these women face daunting barriers to get safe abortion care if and when they need it.  These least access states have the most restrictive laws and the fewest number of abortion providers.  These states also share other traits: low levels of contraceptive care, high rates of poverty, and strong anti-abortion cultures.  With little help to prevent pregnancy, few financial resources to help pay for abortion care, and the threat of isolation or even harassment within her community, the health and autonomy of a woman living in one of these states is at risk.

Among the states labeled ‘least access states’ are both North and South Dakota, which is not surprising considering the Dakota’s record on women’s health. Even in Minnesota, the state currently funds ‘clinics’ that intentionally mislead women about reproductive health.   How are anti-choice activists continue to chip away at women’s right to a legal medical procedure? Funding. Restriction of funding began in 1976 when Congress passed the Hyde amendment.  During the “Gingrich Revolution” of the 90’s conservatives went even further by banning abortion coverage for all federal employees, preventing military hospitals from  performing abortion, banning prisons from funding abortions and eliminating 35% of funding to family planning centers. The issues today’s women face in obtaining a safe abortion:

Prochoice America

Making abortion access more difficult and dangerous is a key tactic in the anti-choice movement’s strategy. Today, 87 percent of U.S. counties have no abortion provider, yet anti-choice lawmakers continue to impose a broad range of restrictions on women’s access to abortion.

• Anti-choice members of Congress and their allies are trying to use health-care reform legislation to impose a new nationwide abortion ban in the private health-insurance market.
• Refusal clauses and counseling bans (“gag rules”) limit women’s access to honest information and medical care, making it virtually impossible for some women to access abortion services altogether.
• Congress has imposed restrictions on abortion care for women who live in Washington, D.C. and those depend on the government for their health care needs, including women serving in our military.
• Numerous federal and state laws aggressively limityoung women’s access to abortion care and information.
• Anti-choice activists have developed “crisis pregnancy centers” to confuse, coerce, and mislead women in order to prevent them from exercising their constitutional right to choose.
• Anti-choice lawmakers have used propaganda and distorted scientific information as part of a strategy to instill fear in women to prevent them from exercising their right to choose.
• Clinic violence, murder, threats, and intimidation endanger doctors and patients and further restrict women’s access to reproductive-health care. While there are state and federal laws in place to protect women and doctors, this campaign of violence is still a very real threat to the right to choose.

A large proportion of women in our society depend on Medicaid for health care and as health care costs soar the dependence on governmental aid will only increase.  Congress, in negotiations for passing HCR, has enabled some legislators to dictate coverage of specific medical procedures by insurance companies.  In an attempt to prevent any federal subsidies for abortion, something already accomplished by Hyde, congress has gone further by preventing money going to companies that provide abortion coverage.  This is the largest attempt to limit access to abortion in my lifetime and if the Stupak language becomes law, health insurance coverage for abortions will essentially be eradicated, even for those receiving no governmental aid.

Abortion opponents strategy for targeting public funding are two-fold, first to immediately reduce access and secondly as a broader strategy to recriminalize abortion. The limits on abortion coverage overwhelmingly affect the most vulnerable among us and while the government will cover sterilization, they won’t fully fund access to all other forms of reproductive care.

I take a week off in the wilderness, away from the computer, and everything happens all at once. Expect me to get caught up soon.

Just in from womenwinning Executive Director Sarah Taylor Nanista

WOMENWINNING IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE OUR ENDORSEMENT OF
Senator Tarryl Clark for the 6th District Seat in Congress

Senator Tarryl Clark has proven that she can win in this district. womenwinning has determined that this is the year in which Minnesota will finally defeat Michele Bachmann. Senator Clark is positioned and prepared to win this race with your help.

*Please look for forthcoming information regarding a fundraiser in late September. Details to follow.

Spring is in the air, the snow is gone, the grass is green, the sleeves are short, and we women just now finally made as much in pay as our male counterparts did by the end of 2008.

Yes, that’s right. We had to work almost 16 months to make what they made in just 12.

Here’s what women across the country have to say about the wage gap…

Even here in Minnesota, where wages are in many ways higher than around the country, we still lag far behind Minnesota men.

It doesn’t have to be like this, and we can take action to make this change. Visit the National Women’s Law Center and tell Congress to support fair pay for equal work.

The nation’s best political trainers are joining together in 2009 to help elect more women!

Collaborative Training Sponsors

This exciting new collaborative training opportunity is available to a limited number of pro-choice women running for Minnesota state or local office in 2010.

June 19-20: Getting Started with Filing, Assessing the Landscape, Positioning, Opposition Research, Building your Kitchen Cabinet, Party Endorsement, writing your Campaign Plan

July 18: Public Speaking, Politics of Conviction/Mining for Stories

August 15: Field and Targeting, Base Building

September 12: Interest Group Endorsements (including mock screenings and questionnaires) and “Talking about Choice”

October 10: Networking and Fundraising

November 14: Running as a Woman

Interested? Apply here!

Story and video from The Uptake:

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Republicans have been saying the House Revenue bill will tax every man woman and child. It’s a great slogan, but it’s false according to House Tax Committee Chair Representative Ann Lenczewski (DFL). Minutes before the Minnesota house takes a vote on the bill on Saturday evening, Representative Lenczewski gives an impassioned speech about why the bold tax reform in the bill is needed.

Lenczewski invokes the name of President Reagan pointing out that his tax reform did much the same that this bill does. It cleans away many tax laws that are outdated.

Lenczewski did not shy away from calling this a revenue producing bill. She said it is fairly asking people who are “not down” to chip in and help. That list of people who are not down include those making more than $250,000 a year and those who have a high income with a million dollar mortgage. She also pointed to Minnesota’s tax incidence study that shows the wealthiest Minnesotans pay a smaller proportion of their income in total taxes than the middle class or the poor.

It’s a myth that “cuts don’t hurt people, taxes do” said Lenczewski. She called the bill a document of “principle”.

The bill passed by a slim 68 to 65 margin with DFL Representative Tom Rukavina changing his no vote to a yes vote at the very last second.

See more MN Legislative video clips and watch live coverage at The Uptake.

From the National Women’s Law Center:

Tell Your Senators to Confirm Kathleen Sebelius for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Governor Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, has demonstrated that she understands the needs of women — in health care, early education, and other areas critical to the lives of women and their families.

As health care reform moves forward, it is important we have a strong HHS Secretary who understands the needs of women and their families so that any health reform proposal addresses the unique barriers women face. She also will be responsible for child care and early education programs and family support programs, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Your action is important because anti-choice and conservative groups have been mobilizing to block the nomination of this superbly qualified candidate because of her strong support for women’s health and reproductive rights and her commitment to fixing our broken health care system.

Please e-mail and call today!

More ways to contact, and a message form can be found here.