Mayoral Candidate Marco McMillan of Clarksdale, Mississippi, was found dead on Wednesday in what authorities have ruled is a homicide. 22 year old Lawrence Reed, who was found inside McMillan’s crushed car after a head-on collision, is currently in custody facing a murder charge. McMillian’s body was later discovered nearby. “It’s too early in the […]
The Arkansas Senate voted yesterday to override Governor Mike Beebe’s (D) Tuesday veto of a bill that bans abortion at twenty weeks. The Senate voted 19 to 14 in favor of overriding the veto following a House override vote of 53 to 28 on Wednesday. In Arkansas, a majority vote in both houses is the […]
By Terry O’Neil, National Organization for Women House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is a powerful player on Capitol Hill who has pretty much flown under the radar with the general public. But I predict that won’t be true much longer. Now that Cantor is taking the lead on blocking reauthorization of an inclusive version of […]
by Amanda Reed, Communications Intern at the National Organization for Women On Feb. 12, the Senate passed an inclusive version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that would include provisions for previously-unprotected groups. Last week, the House revealed its own version of VAWA: a watered-down, non-inclusive bill that cuts out these protections. Sound familiar? […]
There is a crisis at colleges and universities across the nation. In just the first six weeks of 2013, a Huffington Post survey found 75 instances of sexual assaults reported on college campuses. This is outrageous, but we shouldn’t be surprised. A U.S. Department of Justice study found that around 28 percent of womenare targets […]
by Eleanor Smeal, Feminist Majority Foundation and Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, MomsRising.org UPDATE (2/28/2013): VICTORY! The House of Representatives decided to stand with students, Native Americans, immigrants, and the LGBT community and passed the Senate inclusive #VAWA in a vote 286-138! ———— At last the House will vote on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) today. The […]
Today, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan, inclusive Violence Against Women Act as passed by the Senate. The House of Representatives voted 286-138 to pass the Senate version of VAWA that included protections for students, the LGBT community, immigrants and Native Americans. This came after a bipartisan decision to reject a gutted substitute bill […]
The Arkansas state House voted yesterday in favor of overriding Governor Beebe’s veto of a bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks. In a vote 53-28, state Representatives approved the decision to override the veto, sending it to the state Senate. In Arkansas, a governor veto can be overridden by the state legislature with […]
A teenager accused of murder in the violent gang-rape of a New Delhi medical student in December 2012 plead not guilty. According to Reuters, an anonymous official told the media outlet, “The court has framed charges against the boy under relevant sections. He has pleaded not guilty and claimed trial in the case.” In a […]
Late last night, the House Rules Committee decided to bring the inclusive Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) to the House floor for a vote – provided that a restrictive House substitute bill is rejected first. House leadership announced a substitute bill last week that guts necessary protections for students, LGBTQ individuals, immigrants, and Native […]
Today, the justices of the Supreme Court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of section 5 of the Voting Rights Act for the fifth time since the law’s passage in 1965. This section of the Voting Rights Act mandates that areas of the nation with a history of barring people of color from voting must […]
On Tuesday Governor Mike Beebe (D) vetoed a bill that would have banned abortions in Arkansas after 20 weeks. The bill passed in the state Senate on a vote of 25 to 7 and passed the state House on a vote of 80 to 10 before reaching Governor Beebe’s desk. “Because it would impose a […]
On Sunday, the White House released a comprehensive list of the impact the possible sequester cuts will have on each state if an agreement is not reached by Congress before March 1st. The list revealed shocking cuts to programs heavily relied upon by women in each state. If the sequester goes into effect, one of […]
A group of 72 members of Congress submitted a request last week to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) urging the organization to investigate multiple pro-choice organizations, including Planned Parenthood. The request [PDF] asks the GAO to track the government funding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the Population Council, the Guttmacher Institute, […]
Microsoft launched a new program in India to encourage more girls to take up careers in technology, the Times of India reports. “India DigiGirlz” aims to drive high school girls towards science and engineering fields by giving them the opportunity to participate in workshops and connect with Microsoft’s employees. Microsoft’s DigiGirlz program was founded in […]
Last night, The Invisible War, a documentary on rape in the United States military, was considered for the 2013 Oscar for “Best Documentary Feature.” The Invisible War chronicles the ongoing epidemic of rape and sexual assault perpetrated within the ranks, and the military’s failure to adequately prosecute the perpetrators of such crimes. In addition to […]
A vote in the Oklahoma state Senate on a bill that would allow employers to deny contraception and abortion coverage for women in insurance plans passed the Senate Business and Commerce Committee. Senate Bill 452, introduced by Senator Clark Jolley (R) and Senator Pam Peterson (R), passed on a vote of nine to zero last […]
South Korea’s first female president, Park Geun-hye, was sworn in Monday. Her election was an historic event for a country where women earn forty percent less than men, and women’s groups hope that Park’s presidency will include many advances in gender equity. She has nominated two women for Cabinet posts so far. The current priority […]
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) could be brought up in the House of Representatives as early as next week. According to news reports, House Republican leadership are poised to bring VAWA to the floor for discussion. As of now it is unclear if they will bring the inclusive version passed by the Senate last […]
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley’s bill to abolish the death penalty has passed in the state Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on a 6 to 5 vote. The bill will now move to the Senate floor, where it is expected to pass. Twenty-six of the Maryland Senate’s forty-seven members have pledged to support the bill. Senator Brian […]
