ctnow

A statement by national NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

Labor Day is meant to be a day of celebration, marking the contributions made by all working people in the U.S.—but for women, it’s a reminder of how far we remain from full equality.

Women make up 47% of the labor force and are the sole breadwinners in 40% of families with children—and yet, the wage gap between working women and men persists in nearly every occupation.

Despite civil rights laws and advancements in women’s economic status, workplace discrimination still persists. For women of color, this inequity can be devastating. According to the National Women’s Law Center, African American women working full-time are paid 64 cents for every dollar a man earns, and Latina women are paid 56 cents for every dollar a man earns.

Women remain segregated into jobs where they are underpaid and undervalued. Women make up 95% of the workforce in industries considered “women’s work,” such as home care, child care and housekeeping—yet most workers in these fields lack basic employment protections enjoyed by workers in other fields. And women are particularly vulnerable to an artificially low minimum wage that puts their families at risk.

Labor Day won’t be a holiday that’s truly worth celebrating until the gender pay gap is erased, the minimum wage is raised to at least $15, paid parental leave is universal and parents have access to subsidized childcare.

Until then, Labor Day will remain just another day for shopping and barbecue.

August 20, 2018–The Connecticut chapter of the National Organization for Women (CT NOW) has endorsed more than 80 candidates running for state office in the November 2018 election.*

The endorsements are based on responses candidates gave to a CT NOW questionnaire. Questions were designed to show how candidates’ beliefs lined up with both Connecticut and national NOW’s legislative and policy priorities. Particular attention was paid to candidates’ answers on questions related to:

• Reproductive rights and justice
• Economic justice
• Ending violence against women
• Racial justice
• LBGT rights (including marriage equality)
• Constitutional equality

All Connecticut candidates were invited to complete the questionnaire. Only those who responded were considered.

“Issues at the core of today’s women’s movement–issues like reproductive rights, gender equality, family leave, access to education and equal pay–aren’t just women’s issues. They’re family issues,” said CT NOW Vice President Kate Hamilton Moser. “They’re also issues that Connecticut officials will likely face in the 2019 Legislative Session, and that are at the core of what NOW is all about. Connecticut NOW is committed to helping elect officials who are equally committed to the advancement of women’s, human rights and equality for all, and we are pleased to offer these endorsements.”

For Statewide Office

• Governor Ned Lamont, Democrat
• Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Democrat
• Attorney General William Tong, Democrat
• Secretary of State Denise Merrill, Democrat
• State Treasurer Shawn Wooden, Democrat

For State Senate

• Beth Bye, Democrat, 5th District
• Terry Gerratana, Democrat, 6th District
• Melissa Osborne, Democrat, 8th District
• Matt Lesser, Democrat, 9th District
• Gary Winfield, Democrat, 10th District
• Martin Looney, Democrat, 11th District
• Christine Cohen, Democrat, 12th District
• James Maroney, Democrat, 14th District
• Robert Statchen, Democrat, 18th District
• Monica Brill, Democrat, 21st District
• Julie Kushner, Democrat, 24th District
• Bob Duff, Democrat, 25th District
• William Haskell, Democrat, 26th District
• Michelle Lapine McCabe, Democrat, 28th District
• Chris Wright, Democrat, 31st District
• Catherine De Carli, Democrat, 32nd District
• Aili McKeen, Democrat, 34th District
• John Perrier, Democrat, 35th District

For State House of Representatives

• Matt Ritter, Democrat, 1st District
• Raghib Allie-Brennan, Democrat, 2nd District
• Mary Sanders, Green Party, 4th District
• Joshua Hall, Democrat, 7th District
• Brenda Falusi, Democrat, 8th District
• Geoffrey Luxenberg, Democrat, 12th District
• Jason Doucette, Democrat, 13th District
• John Pelkey, Democrat, 14th District
• Eleni Kavros DeGraw, Democrat, 17th District
• Jillian Gilchrest, Democrat, 18th District
• Derek Slap, Democrat, 19th District
• Michael Demicco, Democrat, 21st District
• Richard Ireland, Democrat, 22nd District
• Matt Pugliese, Democrat, 23rd District
• Gary Turco, Democrat, 27th District
• Russell Morin, Democrat, 28th District
• Kerry Wood, Democrat, 29th District
• Joseph Aresimowicz, Democrat, 30th District
• Laurel Steinhauser, Democrat, 32nd District
• Theresa Govert, Democrat, 34th District
• Jason Adler, Democrat, 35th District
• Christine Palm, Democrat, 36th District
• Baird Welch-Collins, Democrat, 38th District
• Christine Conley, Democrat, 40th District
• Emmett Riley, Democrat, 46th District
• Kate Donnelly, Democrat, 47th District
• Linda Orange, Democrat, 48th District
• Susan Johnson, Democrat, 49th District
• Patricia Wilson Pheanious, Democrat, 53rd District
• Gregory Haddad, Democrat, 54th District
• Tiffany Thiele, Democrat, 55th District
• Michael Winkler, Democrat, 56th District
• Thomas Arnone, Democrat, 5th8 District
• Jane Garibay, Democrat, 60th District
• Jack Henrie, Democrat, 61st District
• Amanda Webster, Democrat, 62nd District
• Candy Perez, Democrat, 63rd District
• Maria Horn, Democrat, 64th District
• Alex Larsson, Democrat, 66th District
• Greg Cava, Democrat, 69th District
• David Borzellino, Democrat, 80th District
• Ryan Rogers, Democrat, 81st District
• Hilda Santiago, Democrat, 84th District
• Theresa Ranciato-Viele, 87th District
• Joshua Elliott, Democrat, 88th District
• Roland Lemar, Democrat, 96th District
• James Albis, Democrat, 99th District
• John-Michael Parker, Democrat, 101st District
• Robin Comey, Democrat, 102nd District
• Rebekah Harriman-Stites, Democrat, 106th District
• Daniel Pearson, Democrat, 107th District
• Mary Welander, Democrat, 114th District
• Dorinda Borer, Democrat, 115th District
• Cindy Wolfe Boynton, Democrat, 117th District
• Kim Rose, Democrat, 118th District
• Ellen Beatty, Democrat, 119th District
• Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, Democrat, 123rd District
• Charlie Stallworth, Democrat, 126th District
• Jack Hennessy, Democrat, 127th District
• Caitlin Pereira, Democrat, 132nd District
• Cristin McCarthy Vahey, Democrat, 133rd District
• Ashley Gaudiano, Democrat, 134th District
• Anne Hughes, Democrat, 135th District
• Jonathan Steinberg, Democrat, 136th District
• Lucy Dathan, Democrat, 142nd District
• Caroline Simmons, Democrat, 144 District
• David Michel, Democrat, 146 District
• Corey Paris, Democrat, 146 District
• Matthew Blumenthal, Democrat, 147 District
• Laura Kostin, Democrat, 151 District

Founded in 1970, CT NOW is proud to be part of the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. The grassroots arm of the women’s movement, we are one of more than 500 local and campus national NOW affiliates across the United States and a leader–rather than a follower–of public opinion. Learn more about us at www.now-ct.org.

*Updated October 1, 2018

It is of utmost importance that we, the youth of America, become promoters of change and take action. We are the future, and the time to create a better tomorrow is now.

A call to action by an organizer of the March For Our Lives Rally in Shelton

By Julia Meyer

My name is Julia Meyer, and I am an organizer of Shelton March For Our Lives and a teen activist. I believe we are currently living in one of the most crucial political times in American history. There is a heavy demand now, more than ever, for United States citizens to challenge the system that has failed them for so long. With the current presidential administration, it will be an uphill battle to change the flaws in our country. This provides young people–specifically teenagers and young women–an opportunity to share their voices in the hopes of making today’s problems nonexistent tomorrow.

It is especially important for teens to share their voices because we are the future. Many of us young adults will be eligible to register to vote very soon. Therefore, we should start pinpointing the issues that matter to us now. For those who do not know where to start, try making a list of things that matter to you. Then think, What can be done to make sure these things are prioritized?

Take women’s rights for example, many of us young women want to have equal opportunities to our male counterparts. Maybe you feel more can be done to allow for women to have equal pay in the workplace. If so, do something about it! Reach out to your local representatives, congressmen, and town officials. Participate in demonstrations or protests to advocate for these issues that matter. You want to make what you care about a priority amongst people in power, so you can get the change you want.

As a result of the recent Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, many teen activists have risen up to promote change. Since the tragedy, the school’s students have been figureheads for the fight for gun control. Emma González, for example, was a survivor of the shooting and has been an advocate for change. She initially grabbed the nation’s attention after delivering a speech at a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., gun control rally. The speech went viral. She has since been advocating for gun control through social media and even appeared on The Ellen Show, alongside fellow student activists Cameron Kasky and Jaclyn Corin. After the tragedy, Emma has become an example for young women everywhere. She is living proof that by speaking up, you will be heard. Emma has shown that any young person, especially a women, can be an advocate for change.

This Saturday, March 24, students, teachers, parents and thousands of others will march on the streets of Washington, D.C., to demand an end to gun violence and safety in our schools. This event will be known as the “March For Our Lives.” On this same day, hundreds of sister marches around the country will be also taking place, including one in Hartford and one in Shelton.

The Shelton March For Our Lives rally will take place at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Memorial Park, 38 Canal St. E. It is being organized by myself, Tyler Massias and Angela Camara. At this event, students, teachers, parents, and local officials will speak about gun violence and school safety. We will then march the streets of Shelton, passing by City Hall and demanding change. All our welcome to join us.

The March For Our Lives rallies provide a great outlet for teens to share their voices, whether it be by speaking at them or by marching. It is especially important for young people like me to promote the causes of school safety and ending gun violence, because these issues directly affect us.

It is important that teenagers’ voices be heard as loudly as everyone else’s. The current conflicts of our country affect every citizen, young and old. It is of utmost importance that we, the youth of America, become promoters of change and take action. We are the future, and the time to create a better tomorrow is now.

Julia Meyer is a junior at Shelton High School.

Testimony for March 20, 2018 Public Hearing, Committee on Public Health

Representative Steinberg, Senator Gerratana, Senator Somers, and distinguished members of the Public Health Committee:

My name is Lauren Pizzoferrato and I live in Wethersfield. I am writing on behalf of the Connecticut Chapter of the National Organization for Women. I testify in strong support of H.B. 5416 An Act Concerning Deceptive Advertising Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers.

CT NOW is a pro-choice organization, and we believe true reproductive choice can only exist without coercion.  Women already face a host of constraints when choosing whether or not to take a pregnancy to term. These constraints include the state of their finances, whether or not they have the support of a healthy partner, their own physical health and their religious beliefs.

For that reason, it is a public health issue when any women is denied this crucial choice because she has been deceived into receiving services from an organization that does not support her belief system.

If a woman is seeking an abortion, she should not be confused about where to get that care. HB5416 protects women from deception during what may be a difficult time during her life. It also lessens any delays should she need time-sensitive services, such as emergency contraception or prenatal care.

In conclusion, I strongly support H.B. 5416 to limit the deceptive advertising practices of crisis pregnancy centers in our state. I urge the committee to move forward with H.B. 5416.

Thank you for your time.

Lauren Pizzoferrato, and on behalf of the Connecticut chapter of the National Organization for Women.

Lauren Pizzoferrato serves as Connecticut NOW’s representative on the Connecticut Coalition for Choice.

… being young has always been accompanied by a feeling of powerlessness; voicelessness; a ‘you’re too young to understand.’ What more do we have to understand about mass murder? Is there a hidden secret about gun violence? How many more kids will die before adults take our opinions seriously?

Support local school walkouts, rallies this month

By Joely Feder

My name is Joely Feder. I am a high schooler from Bethel, Connecticut. I am part of the growing population of youth who are saying #Enough to gun violence.

Just over a week ago, another senseless act of gun violence occurred in Parkland, Florida.

I learned of the events in school.

Another one, I thought to myself. And they’ll do nothing to stop it.

Being a teen in 2018 is an odd phenomena. Sure, it’s great. We have iPhones, a whole world of information at the touch of a button or touch screen. Students are more educated than ever. We are learning at fast paces with high expectations placed on us, dosed with just a bit of social media and cool TV shows to take the edge off.

Yet, being young has always been accompanied by a feeling of powerlessness, a voicelessness, the view that “you’re too young to understand.”

What more do we have to understand about mass murder? Is there a hidden secret about gun violence? How many more kids will die before adults take our opinions seriously?

Because there is no joy when children die. There is no light when teens are at school and a gunman storms their classroom, and they go through the drills that are now a reality. Hidden, or trying to hide, they stay quiet, don’t move a muscle, hold their breath, and pray they won’t be shot dead. Like so many of my friends, I think too often now, What if I am one of these teens?

There is a growing sense among my peers and I that no one in power in the United States cares about our lives. What we see is a total lack of passion for young people, and total antipathy about whether the future workers and leaders of this country live or die.

How crazy is that? Who will protect us if our elders don’t?

Parkland isn’t the first, or biggest, or most unimaginable school shooting. It’s the most recent, and we need to take action to make sure it’s the last. Because already this year alone, there have been mass shootings in Texas, Washington, Kentucky, and other states, too.

And what steps toward gun reform have been made?

None.

Though I am only 17 and can’t yet vote, I’m doing everything I can to show Congress that my generation will end gun violence. … Not that we just want to, but that we will. We will step up and fight tirelessly in the battle that only some Congressmen and women in America can truthfully say they engage in.

On Wednesday, March 14, many of the nation’s youth will participate in school walkouts to send a message to the government that we want to end gun violence now. At my high school in Bethel, I am working with administrators to lead these kinds of events. We will remember the victims’ names, we will honor them, we will raise awareness about gun violence, and we will fight hard against the lack of laws in place that have allowed too many to die. Then, on March 24th, we will take to the streets and March for Our Lives. One of the events planned in Connecticut is a statewide rally in Hartford. Another is planned by Shelton students.

I get that this sounds idealistic. I get that many people don’t think that marching will do anything. But we need to make noise. We need to be heard.

How many more people will die before laws around gun control are changed? 10? 100? 1000?

Will the next school shooting be in Florida again? In Texas? Nebraska? Maine? Kentucky? Washington? Indiana? Maybe Connecticut will suffer another Sandy Hook. And maybe it will be me who’s shot dead.

I wonder sometimes, Will it be me who gun-enthusiast politicians use as a sob-story to promote their agenda to blame mental illness, terrorism or another abstract idea on murder?

This country needs change, and it needs change NOW.

I encourage you to spread the word about the #Enough National School Walkout on March 14, and to take part in one happening near you. Join the students in your community and show them your support. Then, Tweet it. Snapchat it. Instagram it. Facebook it. Flood your state and federal legislators with messages, letters and emails about the urgent need now in our country for gun reform. Send a message that shows you care about what’s going on. Show the country you care about youth. Show our Connecticut legislators and Congress you will not tolerate more killing.

Support us teens. Works with us to advocate change.

We won’t keep dying. We refuse, and we won’t stop until the gun violence stops.

Joely Feder of Bethel is an intern for Connecticut NOW.

…. It is certainly an abuse of power and reeks of sexual abuse grooming. Any discussion about the teen-aged girl and her “responsibility” in this scenario is shaming children for their sexual exploitation by adult men.

By Kate Hamilton Moser

Last week, news broke that a well-respected member of our state Legislature was exchanging messages with a 16-year-old girl. The messages were described as “unusually familiar and affectionate in tone.” What does that mean? Who determines what is “unusually familiar and affectionate in tone?” As a parent, I can tell you that any messages from an adult to my 16-year-old of any gender–particularly from an adult with significant power and authority–would need to be perceived as “professional and detached” in order for me to read them as appropriate.

When this state legislator was confronted by The Courant about these messages, he initially stated that he didn’t remember the girl.

He didn’t remember the girl? How is that possible?

He didn’t remember telling a 16 year-old-girl, “Really hun trust I think we going to keep a lot of secrets between us?” How is that possible? Does he routinely say these things to 16-year-old girls? Did he not remember because she wasn’t that important to him and because this is routine behavior for him? Are there too many messages with other underage girls to keep up with this one?

When the state legislator was again confronted, he told reporters to contact his attorney. His attorney stated that the elected representative “did not do anything improper, but will not comment further based on my advice.”

“Good night love and sweet dreams and thank you for coming into my life,” one text read, while others said: “I wish you were living in Hartford. We be hanging out all the times”; “You so beautiful and gorgeous”; “Really hun trust I think we going to keep a lot of secrets between us”; “Hope you know how to keep things to yourself when we conversate”; “I’m going to help your mom get that job in Hartford.”

Does that sound like proper communications from a 57-year-old man and state representative to a 16-year-old girl?

There is nothing improper about saying any of these things to a 16-year-old girl? What about “I’m going to help your mom get that job in Hartford”? In what world is it proper of an elected representative to discuss employment opportunities of a parent with a 16-year-old girl? What was asked of her and what sort of secrets did she need to keep in order for her mom to “get that job in Hartford”?

These aren’t messages that many of us routinely send to our friends that we forget about 2.5 years later. If you ask me if I remember complaining about something to a friend, or flirting with my spouse in a message from 2015, I probably won’t remember. If you ask me about messages that I sent to an underage child that were “unusually familiar and affectionate in tone,” I would certainly remember. Why? Because I did exchange messages with a 16-year-old boy last year, and I did so carefully.

These messages were about political events and issues involving town politics. I always communicated at a level where I would not be uncomfortable with any adult reading them at any time. I always imagined that I was exchanging messages with him AND his mother AND DCF. While I texted messages that I hoped were warm and funny in tone, it was always at the front of my mind that despite this boy’s intelligence and maturity, he was a 16-year-old boy. I respected him as a teen and my responsibility as the adult in the relationship.

This state legislator was immediately stripped of his titles, committee responsibilities, and asked to resign is role as state representative by the House majority leader. The governor and mayor of the town his district represents also followed suit. This state legislator did resign from his role on his town committee, but with a town committee election scheduled for Tuesday, March 6, the deadline had already passed to remove his name from the ballot.

Why hasn’t he resigned his role as state representative? Does he think that he can ride out this scandal and abuse of a child without any real consequences? Is someone whispering in his ear that all will be fine and to let it blow over?

Or is it something else? Is it because there is this idea that underage girls, if their bodies have developed, are ready for sexual relationships with adult men? Do they believe that she is “asking for it?” Did she flirt with him? Is she a fast-tailed girl? A bad girl? Did she use her years of experience as a 16-year-old to seduce and lure an experienced and powerful 57-year-old man into this relationship? Or is she merely part of the spoils of being an experienced and powerful man?

No. She is a child. Legally a child. A minor. There is nothing she could have said or done that makes this relationship and these messages “proper”. It may not be illegal, yet, but it is not proper. Not from any adult in our society and particularly not for a man elected to represent his district in the Connecticut General Assembly. It is certainly an abuse of power and reeks of sexual abuse grooming. Any discussion about the teen-aged girl and her “responsibility” in this scenario is shaming children for their sexual exploitation by adult men.

What will it take for this state representative to resign his position and change the culture surrounding the sexual exploitation and abuse of children in our communities? There is legislation being debated in committees in Hartford now that can address some of the legal holes that allow child sexual predators to abuse and exploit children without fear of any legal consequences.

Should the state legislator in question be allowed to vote on those bills? Should he be allowed to use his still considerable power and influence to negotiate with other members of the legislature in regards to these bills? Is that why we elect people to represent us and our interests at the Capitol?

Kate Hamilton Moser is vice president of legislative action for Connecticut NOW.

Testimony needed for public hearing taking place this Thursday, March 1

By Lauren Pizzoferrato

With Connecticut’s legislative session in full swing, HB 5210, AN ACT MANDATING INSURANCE COVERAGE OF ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS AND EXPANDING MANDATED HEALTH BENEFITS FOR WOMEN, CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS, has been introduced.

This bill not only protects contraceptive equality established by the Affordable Care Act, but expands upon it by allowing patients to acquire a 12-month supply of birth control with one visit to the pharmacy.

Additionally, vital insurance coverage requirements such as maternal care and STI testing can be made into state law with the passage of this bill this legislative session.

You can help by submitting written testimony, appearing in person at the Insurance and Real Estate Committee public hearing at noon this Thursday, March 1, in room 2D of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, or by urging your legislator to support the bill.

Please feel free to get in touch with me if you would like assistance with any of these things.

Lauren Pizzoferrato represents Connecticut NOW on the Connecticut Coalition for Choice and can be reached via email at lapizzoferrato@gmail.com

Dear Connecticut NOW Members and Friends:

The Connecticut Senate Judiciary Committee needs to hear our voices, and our state legislators need to hear from their constituents!

Do you remember Merrick Garland and how the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate refused to hold a vote during President Obama’s last year in office? A similarly disturbing scenario is happening here in Connecticut within the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Governor Malloy has nominated Justice Andrew McDonald to be Chief Justice of Connecticut. Justice McDonald is an accomplished and respected jurist with over two decades of experience. He is respected by the legal community in Connecticut, is known as a brilliant lawyer, and has served as both a Connecticut State Senator and Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court.

Despite his lengthy resume, experience as an attorney and judge, respect from within the legal community, endorsements by the Connecticut State Bar Association, and the support of two law schools, Justice McDonald’s nomination is in jeopardy. Several ultra-conservative, anti-choice and homophobic groups are actively working to prevent the hearing that would move his nomination forward.

Sound familiar?

We cannot allow conservative extremists to control Connecticut politics. Before the vote scheduled for this coming Monday, Feb. 26. call and email your state representative, state senator and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, telling them that you support the appointment of Andrew McDonald as Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court.

Click here for Connecticut Judiciary Committee members’ contact information.

Click here to find your state legislators’ contact information.

Click here for talking points about Justice Andrew McDonald

You can make a difference in ensuring that a justice who is truly just receives the appointment he deserves, while at the same stopping the potential advancement of hate ideology.

Thank you,

Kate Hamilton Moser

Connecticut NOW Vice President of Legislative Action

A statement by national NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) has announced that his House Oversight Committee has opened an investigation into the Trump Administration’s employment of Rob Porter, seeking to discover when the FBI told the White House about the allegations of domestic violence against him. That’s not nearly good enough. We already know the answer to that question.

The Oversight Committee is being incredibly short-sighted and protectionist when it comes to this White House.The staff at the FBI is not the problem. The staff at the White House is the problem. We need to know more about John Kelly’s and Don McGahn’s roles in covering up for Rob Porter and perpetuating a culture of enabling abusive men—starting with the mysoginist-in-chief in the Oval Office. Chairman Gowdy, call John Kelly and Don McGahn before your committee. Ask them why their first inclination is to believe and condone abusers, and not the women they’ve abused.

By Nichole Berklas

Concurrently with the opening of the 2018 Legislative Session, Connecticut Democrats announced their Democratic Values Agenda. Key to the Democrats’ overall agenda for the 2018 Legislative Session is “supporting middle-class families and creating economic opportunities for everyone,” which provides, in part, a commitment for paid family leave.

Specifically, Democrats in the General Assembly have provided in the agenda that:

“Working families should not have to face the prospect of economic ruin when presented with serious family needs such as caring for a newborn, a spouse, or their parents.”

“The inability of employees to take paid time off to care for loved ones or themselves,” the agenda continues, “can leave them with no choice but to abandon family members in their time of need, or to neglect their own health.”

A commitment to solving this inhumane choice, they say, is “necessary and beneficial to our modern workforce.”

The Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, specifically called the “Act Concerning Earned Family and Medical Leave,” can be easily tracked as it has the same bill number as last year: SB-1! Introduced on Feb. 7 with the support of 12 State Senators, SB-1 has been referred to the Committee on Labor and Employees.

We will continue to provide updates on SB-1, as well as details of upcoming phone banks to support the passage of paid family leave, which will benefit all residents of Connecticut.

Nichole Berklas serves as Connecticut NOW’s representative to the Connecticut Campaign for Paid Family Leave.