The Michigan House of Representatives today gave Michigan women a Pay Equity Day gift, passing HB 4625 and HB 4626 by votes of 59 - 48. Both bills were also given immediate effect. The bills now need action by the Republican-controlled Senate.

HB 4625 sponsored by Representative Joan Bauer (D-Lansing) amends the Michigan Civil Rights Act to provide compensation equally for work of comparable value. HB 4626 sponsored by Representative Pam Byrnes (D-Chelsea) amends the Penal Code to provide criminal penalties for violating comparable worth.

Another bill in the pay equity package, HB 4627 sponsored by Representative Kathleen Law (D-Gibraltar), passed the House on February 12, 2008, and is awaiting action by the Senate Committee on Commerce and Tourism chaired by Senator Jason Allen (R-Traverse City; senjallen@senate.michigan.gov). HB 4627 would create a Commission on Pay Equity that would include a representative of Michigan NOW.

HB 5136 sponsored by Representative Fred Miller (D-Mt. Clemens) that would amend the Penal Code to establish penalties for discriminating in the payment of wages between sexes similarly employed is awaiting consideration in the House Labor Committe, which Representative Miller chairs. SB 417 sponsored by Senator Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor) amends the Michigan Civil Rights Act to provide equal compensation for comparable worth. It is assigned to the Senate Committee on Commerce and Tourism.

Earlier in the day, Michigan NOW joined by representatives from the Michigan Women's Commission, AAUW, Michigan Women Work!, the AFL-CIO, UAW, Pay Equity Network, the Center for the Education of Women at the Unviersity of Michigan, and a dozen or more Representatives and Senators commemorated Equal Pay Day in the Capitol Rotunda with a well-attended news conference. Red-iced cookies with a "bite" out of them to symbolize the 30% pay differential between men and women in Michigan were provided by the AAUW. Many of those participating wore red to remind everyone that women's pay is "in the red" until pay equity is achieved. The Governor's proclamation concerning Equal Pay Day was highlighted.

Michigan NOW's radio news release about Equal Pay Day was picked up by 460 Clear Channel radio stations throughout the nation and many radio stations in Michigan.

Mary Pollock
Legislative Vice-President

forum-online.info

4/24/2007 at 9:00 am

State Representatives Bauer, Byrnes and Law introduced legislation in support of Pay Equity as House Bills 4625, 4626 & 4627.

Mary Pollack testified on behalf of Michigan NOW.

Northland Family Planning Clinic, Inc. v. Cox - Summary and text of decision

Summary - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed on June 4, 2007, the lower district court's holding that since Michigan’s law regulating abortion methods failed to comply with the explicit limitations the U.S. Supreme Court has established for statutes regulating abortion, the Michigan statute (the Legal Birth Definition Act)(MCL 333.1083(1) et seq.)) regulating abortion methods in Michigan is unconstitutional.

The court was reluctant to interfere with a statute representing the will of the elected representatives of the people of Michigan. However, had the Michigan legislature sought in good faith to enact a statute prohibiting the abortion procedures deemed objectionable while complying with the limits imposed by the Constitution, it had plenty of guidance on how to proceed. The Supreme Court’s decision in Stenberg v. Carhart predated the Michigan statute by five years. In Planned Parenthood of S.E. PA v. Casey; Women’s Med. Prof’l Corp. v. Taft, the court fully upheld an Ohio statute pertaining to these procedures the year before the Michigan statute was passed. Michigan could have copied the Ohio statute word-for-word, and been virtually guaranteed a favorable result in the courts of this circuit. Instead, it chose to use statutory language pushing almost every boundary the Supreme Court has imposed for these types of laws, and which were recently affirmed in Gonzales v Carhart. Because the statute could not be squared in any way with these limitations, and the defendant-Attorney General Cox’s opinion was similarly inconsistent with the relevant court decisions and with the statute itself, the district court correctly determined invalidation was the only available course. The appeals court affirmed the district court’s entry of summary judgment for plaintiffs 6 family planning clinics and 4 obstetricians represented by the ACLU on the basis of its determination the act at issue imposed an undue burden on a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy under Stenberg. The court also affirmed the district court’s denial of proposed intervenor-STTOP’s motion for intervention. (Adapted from State Bar Assn of Michigan summary)

Full Text Opinion

Check out Jacquie Steingold in the Friday, July 13, 2007 Detroit Free Press.

Governor Granholm sets the mood on fire!

Our Governor then encourages womento help other women meet their ambitions!

NOW convention winds up with a quiet resolve.

Genafer Hintz Spoke at Macomb County Open Hearing on Living Wage Proposal, and the Bill was Passed

In October, the Macomb County Board of Commissioners took up a measure, sponsored by Commissioners Switalski and Gieleghem, which would require that employees of the county and those of any company contracted to provide services for the county be paid a “living wage”, i.e., $9.58 an hour for those persons with health care benefits and $12.09 for those without. 

At the open hearing held on October 24, attended by several Macomb County NOW members, President Diane Russell pointed out in a statement supporting the measure as an appropriate first step to bring county employees above the poverty level, that the poverty rate is highest for families headed by single women and that a report recently released by the Michigan Women’s Commission showed that women in Macomb County earn 62.55 cents for every dollar earned by men.  This rate is below the rate for Michigan which is 67 cents, and significantly below the national average of 76 cents.

The meeting was attended by persons representing both the labor and business communities who also made statements to the commissioners.  When Lillian Adams, President of the coalition of Chambers of Commerce told the commissioners, “Let’s face it, there are some workers who aren’t worth $5 an hour.  They can’t even write their name,” the fireworks began.

It was this statement that encouraged me to speak out.  I approached the podium and stated that I was compelled to speak and correct Ms. Adams.  I said:
   “Everyone tells us that the way out of poverty is education and training.  Well, I have an education.  I graduated in the top of my class, with $40,000 in school loans.  I work three part time jobs because I can’t find a full-time job.  I make $6.50 an hour and I am pretty damn sure I am worth more than that.  I am not alone.  I know many college grads in the same boat.  I hope that the board takes this starting step and approves the measure.  Even though it won’t affect part time work – it will show that we all support our workers and recognize that no one deserves to live in poverty.”
   When the room erupted in applause as I sat down, I hoped that my statement had made an impact.  That day, the board voted in support of the measure and subsequently passed it at their next regular meeting.  Let’s hope that this is a good start toward helping to eliminate poverty for our county employees.
By Genafer Hintz

Note; Following the meeting, Gena was interviewed by several reporters and her comments appeared in area newspapers.  On December 28, The Macomb Daily featured an editorial on the best quotes made in the last year and among those cited was Gena’s, “I make $6.50 an hour and I’m pretty damn sure I’m worth more than that.”

Stop the Violence Against Women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. 

Jacquie Steingold and Renee Beeker participated in a press conference in El Paso on December 3 to introduce a campaign to stop the violence against women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.  Following the press conference NOW members and activists marched form El Paso, Texas, to the border of Juarez to protest the hundreds of murders and to demand official action.  Over the last decade nearly 400 women have been abducted and murdered in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico.  Many of the murders include women being beaten and raped.  Most of the victims are young women on their way to or from work at maquiladoras, or assembly factories.  The Mexican authorities and factory owners have ignored their duty to protect the women of Juarez and Chihuahua, causing the femicide to continue.  NOW members were deeply moved as they walked across the bridge into Mexico along with parents of some of the murdered women and members of other groups such as Mexico Solidarity Network, Justicia Para Nuestras Hijas, Casa Amiga, and National Dominican Women's Caucus.  Mention of NOW's involvement was in the El Paso newspaper for two days.