Fourteen Republican members of the House of Representatives reintroduced a bill on Tuesday that would exempt unwilling employers from a requirement that their employee health insurance plans include contraceptive coverage. They are also trying to get the language included in the Continuing Resolution to extend funding for operation of the federal government. The bill’s cosponsors […]
Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe (D) vetoed a bill that would have banned abortion after a heart beat was detected with a standard ultrasound – usually around 12 weeks – on Monday. In a statement, Governor Beebe said “In short, because it would impose a ban on a woman’s right to choose an elective, nontherapeutic abortion […]
Today Senator Tom Harken (D-IA) and Representative George Miller (D-CA) announced they will introduce the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013. The legislation would increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour. In addition, the bill would also raise the minimum wage for tipped employees from $2.13 today to 70% […]
On Sunday, a Somali appeals court overturned the conviction of an alleged rape survivor who accused security forces of raping her in August 2012. A journalist who had interviewed the woman but never published a story about the allegations had his sentenced reduced, but was not cleared of the charges against him. Both the woman […]
President Obama has increased his number of judicial appointments in an attempt to diversify the federal judiciary. Since taking office in January, President Obama has nominated over three dozen candidates compared to his first term where he received criticism for not appointing judges quickly. Of the 35 nominations awaiting Senate approval, 17 are women, 15 […]
Protests are breaking out across New Delhi, India after a seven year old girl was sexually assaulted while at school. The minor was attacked Thursday while at a school run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Delhi chief minister Shelia Dikshit said, “The incident is inhuman and shameful. It is a shocking incident. The […]
On Sunday, researchers announced that an infant born with HIV is now a “functionally cured”, healthy two-year old with only trace amounts of the virus in her system. Doctors involved in her treatment made the announcement in advance of the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections today. The medical definition of “functionally cured” is when […]
Today the automatic government spending cuts called “sequesters” will go into effect at midnight. The cuts that total $85 billion of funding for government programs will have a disproportionately harsh impact on women, not only in the United States but around the world. $32 million will be cut from overseas family planning programs, resulting in […]
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 […]
