When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Higher Education Act (HEA) into law on November 8, 1965, he made a bold prediction:
"When the time came, we took our places on the rostrum upon which were seated the faculty. The exam took place before the entire school, members of the school board, patrons of the school, and such strangers as straggled in."
"This legislation [...} will swing open a new door for the young people of America. For them, and for this entire land of ours, it is the most important door that will ever open – the door to education."
Fifty years since the HEA's passage, Americans – especially women – are attaining more college degrees than ever before, and higher education has become a necessity in today's economy.
The House of Representatives is considering a proposal to overhaul the HEA in a way that makes college more expensive, more hostile, and ultimately further out of reach for many. H.R. 4508 would:
President Johnson sought to eliminate barriers to education through the HEA. Congress should do the same – not make it harder and costlier. Urge your Representative to oppose H.R. 4508.
This Election Day, Pennsylvania voters will consider a constitutional amendment, "Allow Local Taxing Authorities to Exempt Full Value of Homestead Amendment," which would impact funding for public schools.
This ballot question would give the General Assembly the authority to allow school districts, counties or municipalities to exclude up to 100 percent of homestead property taxes. Currently, the maximum homestead property tax assessment exclusion sits at 50 percent. School funding accounts for the largest share of property tax bills, so this ballot measure would directly impact education funding in our state.
AAUW of Pennsylvania urges voters to vote NO on the proposed constitutional amendment in order to ensure responsible funding for all levels of education.
While a reduction in property taxes sounds wonderful for property owners, the reality for public schools is not so great. Local taxes are increasingly funding public schools because of continued decreases in state funding for them. Without homestead tax revenue, it's unclear where that money will come from. Current proposals include increases to income or sales taxes, which would disproportionally impact low- and fixed-income households. Passage of this ballot amendment would amount to a state takeover of local education with no promise of fair or increased funding for public education.
AAUW of Pennsylvania supports adequate and equitable funding for quality public education for all students. While our state's revenue and school funding plans certainly need reform, that reform should not come at the detriment of our public schools. Voting NO on the proposed constitutional amendment will ensure that this dangerous plan doesn't move any further.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 7— learn more about voting in Pennsylvania and make a plan to cast your ballot. When you do, AAUW-PA urges you to vote NO on the proposed constitutional amendment.
Request for Immediate Action -- Redistricting Reform
Action: We've [Fair Districts PA] been encouraging our supporters to contact their legislators. Rep. Metcalfe has been doing that. But he has yet to agree to meet and apparently has yet to hear them.
So we are now encouraging all our supporters - all PA citizens! - to contact Rep. Metcalfe and ask for a hearing for HB 722.
Cranberry Office: (724) 772-3110 Harrisburg Office: (717) 783-1707.
The message is simple: I am a Pennsylvania citizen who believes the PA constitution needs to be amended to create an independent redistricting commission. Please schedule House Bill 722 for a hearing as soon as possible.
Background: To eliminate gerrymandering in Pennsylvania, there needs to be a change to the state constitution. That is a complicated process over multiple years. To keep the process moving and on track, the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee must release HB722 from committee for full House consideration. In a recent interview, Rep. Metcalfe said the following.
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/08/lt_gov_mike_stack_reforms.htmlÂ
With your help, we can make sure Rep. Metcalfe hears from a lot of citizens about HB722.
Thank you.
Ann Pehle and Barbara Price
AAUW-PA Public Policy Co-Chairs
Commemorate Black Women's Equal Pay Day: Support HB 1243!
Would you work 19 months to take home the same pay your colleague did in 12 months? Absolutely not. Yet this is the scenario faced much too often by black women in the United States. On July 31, we'll commemorate Black Women's Equal Pay Day — the symbolic day when black women's average earnings finally catch up to the average wages of white men from last year. That's seven months of extra work!
We need your help to right this wrong. Tell Pennsylvania lawmakers to give us the tools to close the gender and racial pay gaps! We can't think of a better way to "celebrate" Black Women's Equal Pay Day than by securing the tools to help close the pay gap once and for all. Urge your representative to ensure women are paid what they are worth by supporting HB1243, a comprehensive Equal Pay bill sponsored by Representatives Brian Sims and Tina Davis with 25 additional co-sponsors. Women can't wait for equal pay—contact your representative today to urge them to support HB1243! And mark your calendar for our April 2018 meeting, which will feature a panel discussion on Equal Pay.
Public Policy Statewide Task Force Created
AAUW Erie Branch Public Policy Chair Corrine Egan is now part of a statewide AAUW task force that will monitor and advocate for Pennsylvania legislation affecting women and families. Bills being followed include Pay Equity, Family and Medical Leave, Gender Equity, and Redistricting.
The group, AAUW PA Legislative Advocacy Group (LAG), will keep abreast of bills currently in the legislature and newly introduced bills in both PA House and Senate that address these issues. Other members of LAG include Dr. Susan Wheatley, AAUW Indiana County (PA) Branch President, and Libby Hutchensen, AAUW Cumberland County. They were appointed to the statewide task force by Susan MacNamara, PA State AAUW Public Policy Chair.
"By following legislation that is pertinent to national and PA AAUW priorities, we can keep our members up-to-date on legislation to support or oppose, and help to influence the legislature," according to Corrine.
Open Primaries in our Future?
Representative John Delaney of Maryland introduced H.R. 2655 on June 4th, 2015. This legislation would eliminate party primaries for Congressional races and require open primaries in their place. The open primary would permit a candidate to indicate party preference but members of all political parties would compete in the same primary. The top candidates in the primary election would go on to run against each other in the general election. The bill would also designate Election Day as a public holiday for federal employees and encourage private employees to do the same.
Senator Bob Casey issued the following comment regarding the proposed legislation: "I strongly believe that robust, meaningful participation by voters is necessary to ensure a strong democracy, and I have consistently supported strong protections to promote participation in voting and to ensure fair access to the campaign and voting process, including working for the restoration of the Voting Rights Act and opposing burdensome Voter ID requirements. I strongly believe our democracy must rely on fair and transparent elections, and I will continue to advocate for fair elections, including limiting the influence of money in politics."
The Open Our Democracy Act was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. There is no related legislation currently pending in the Senate.
Paycheck Fairness Act
Fair pay champions in the House and Senate just reintroduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, a much-needed piece of legislation to help close the gender pay gap. You can be a critical part of the behind-the-scenes work to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act by urging your members of Congress to become co-sponsors of the bill.
The more co-sponsors we get on the Paycheck Fairness Act, the better chance we have of getting the attention necessary to move this bill.
That's why the American Association of University Women (AAUW) wants you to urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor. Please join us in this important cause!