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Pennsylvania NOW Convention just 3 Weeks Away with TWO Featured Speakers: Terry O'Neill and Sioban "Sam" Bennett

The Pennsylvania NOW Convention “United We Rise” is just three weeks away.  It will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at Crowne Plaza‐Bucks County ♦ 4700 Street Rd ♦ Trevose, PA 19053.
 
PA NOW 2011 Convention Invitation BIG NEWS!  We now have confirmed two GREAT featured speakers! Our Featured Speakers will be Terry O’Neill, National NOW President and Siobhan “Sam” Bennett, President and CEO Women's Campaign Forum & 2008 PA Congressional candidate.

Sam will be our featured speaker at the PAC luncheon that starts at 11:35 am.  Siobhan "Sam" Bennett, President/CEO has served as the President and CEO of the Women’s Campaign Fund (WCF) and its affiliated programs The She Should Run Foundation and WCF PAC since March 2009. Under Sam’s leadership, WCF’s combined budget has more than doubled and the organization’s programmatic reach has expanded to every state in the country and been featured in national syndications, including USA Today and over 200 AP newspapers. Sam has lent her unique perspective as a candidate at the local and federal levels to broaden WCF’s impact on women leaders at all levels of government who support reproductive choices and options, and women who may run for office in the future. Cost for the luncheon is a minimum of $50/person.

Terry will be our featured speaker during the afternoon plenary.  Terry O'Neill, President, National Organization for Women is a feminist attorney, former law professor, and an activist for social justice. O'Neill oversees NOW's multi-issue agenda, which includes: advancing reproductive freedom, promoting diversity and ending racism, stopping violence against women, winning lesbian rights, ensuring economic justice, ending sex discrimination and achieving constitutional equality for women.

We also have a great line-up of workshops that include the following topics:

• Voting Rights, Removing Barriers to Voting, and the Elections process
• Caregiving Care for Caregiver
• Health Care issues including single-payer health care and reproductive health and justice
• Collaborating with other feminist organizations
• School Vouchers and Violence in Schools.

Please spread the word!

Cost for NOW members to attend the Convention is $50 with a sliding scale down to $0.00.  Non-members can register for the Convention for $70.00, which includes a one-year membership in NOW.

To register, you can download this registration form (see below). After completing the form, either mail or email the form with your check/credit card number to our Treasurer, Pamela Macklin.  If you want to pay online for the PAC and/or the luncheon you can do so by credit card at our main website.  Go to http://panow.org and click on the "Donate" button.  Then send the completed registration form to our treasurer at pmacfish@aol.com.
Registration Form for PA NOW Convention and PAC Luncheon
Note two deadlines.  The guaranteed reduced rate for hotel reservations ends on September 15 ($99/night + tax); call the hotel at 1‐215‐364‐2000  to make your reservation. People interested in the PAC luncheon need to reserve their seat at the luncheon by Friday, September 23.  You can either pre-register or register on-site for the convention plenaries, workshops, and cocktail party.  If you are putting your check in the mail for the PAC luncheon, please email our Treasuer at pmacfish@aol.com and let her know that you put the check in the mail to ensure she adds your name to the PAC luncheon.

And here are the directions to the hotel.
Direction Card Crowne Plaza

Again…

Join us at Pennsylvania NOW’s 40^th anniversary convention ON OCTOBER 1 and Please spread the word!

Thank you and see you on October 1.

Fall Issue of the Pennsylvania NOW Times

The Fall 2011 issue of the Pennsylvania NOW Times is now available online. The newsletter includes:

• The PA NOW PAC Voters' Guide for the November 8, 2011 General Election
• Legislative Updates for the 2011-2012 legislative session in the Pennsylvania General Assembly
• "We've Had Enough!" Information on the September 27 rally at the Capitol in Harrisburg opposing the legislators' attacks on women's reproductive health
• United We Rise - article on the upcoming October 1, 2011 PA NOW Convention and PAC fundraising in Bucks County. There is a discount on registering for the convention if you register by Friday August 26, 2011 (Women's Equality Day). 
• Proposed By-Laws Amendment
• My First National Conference - a first-hand report of the June 2011 National NOW conference in Tampa, FL by Michelle Weisen, member of Ni-Ta-Nee NOW.
• What Can We Do? - tidbits on what you can do for women's equality
• Chapter Exchange - information of actions and programs of some of the local NOW chapters across the state.

United We Rise! Pennsylvania NOW Convention on October 1, 2011

We need and will rise to fight the War on Women that is currently being waged against women in the US and here in Pennsylvania. A war that includes: 1) women continuing to earn only 78% of men’s salaries, 2) Congress and the PA General Assembly’s attempts to take away our reproductive rights;  3) Threats to public education; 4) etc.

Join us at our biennial convention October 1, 2011 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Philadelphia Bucks County, 4700 Street Road, Trevose, PA 19053 (215-364-2000).  We will be focusing on this war on women and how, United, we can fight back.

Lodging is $99 + tax/night; deadline for this rate is September 15.  To receive this rate, contact the hotel and mention Pennsylvania NOW when you make your registration.

This all-day conference will include workshops focusing on reproductive rights attacks, school vouchers, single-payer health care, maternity care, and care giving, as well as working in coalitions, voting, and election work to make sure our united voice is heard. In addition, we will be electing new officers, holding a luncheon PAC fundraiser, voting on the proposed by-laws change, and hosting a cash-bar reception in the evening.

ELECTIONS

We will be holding elections for President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, & three At-Large Executive Committee members.  The four officers must run together as a slate.  If you are interested running for office, you must contact our Elections Committee. Chairing this committee will be Cindy Purvis (814-460-3568, cindypurvis@velocity.net). Lois Herr (717-371-5721, herrlk@me.com) and Irene Boyle (215- 913-0108) are the other two members of this committee.

PA NOW PAC FUNDRAISER

We have moved the traditional PAC fundraiser from Sunday to Saturday so that more people have a chance to attend if they are not staying overnight.  The keynote speaker at the PAC luncheon will be Siobhan “Sam” Bennett, President and CEO, Women’s Campaign Forum and 2008 NOW PAC-endorsed Congressional candidate from Allentown, PA.

The luncheon will also present current and past NOW PAC-endorsed candidates to the attendees.
This fundraiser will help get out our Voters’ Guide and to also support our endorsed candidates.  Cost is a minimum $50.00/person.  You can use the form below to send in your registration. You can also register online with your credit card for the luncheon at http://panow.org/PAC_file/PANOWPAC.htm.  Then follow-up the online payment with an email to Treasurer Pamela Macklin, pmacfish@aol.com, saying your PAC donation is for the PAC luncheon. Deadline for registering for the PAC luncheon is Friday, September 23.

REGISTRATION FEES

NOW member registration fee is $50.00; early registration by August 26 is $40 in honor of Pennsylvania NOW’s 40th anniversary.  Non-member registration, including a one-year membership is $70.00.  Current members can register and attend the convention on a sliding scale down to $0.00. 

Register online with your credit card at http://panow.org/contribution.htm.  Please follow-up all online payments with an email to pmacfish@aol.com,  saying your “donations” are for your registration and/or PAC luncheon.

You may also register by printing out and mailing in the registration form pictured below.  You can also contact us at panow@panow.org and we will email you a full-size copy of this registration form.

Registration Form for PA NOW Convention

Congratulations to PA NOW PAC Endorsed Candidates

Congratulations to the PA NOW PAC endorsed candidates for elected office who won their primary races on Tuesday, May 17, 2011.  We encourage the individuals who did not make it to the general election to consider running again in the future.  Thanks for running and speaking out for equality.

Here's the list of the PA NOW PAC endorsed candidates who will appear on the November General Election ballot.  Additional endorsements will likely occur in other races over the summer.

Statewide
Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court
Kathryn Boockvar (D) http://www.boockvar.com

Allegheny County
County Executive
Rich Fitzgerald (D) http://www.voterichfitzgerald.com
Wilkinsburg Borough Council, 1st Ward
Paige Trice (D)


Bucks County 
Commissioners (vote for two)
Det Ansinn (D) http://www.bucksvictory.com
Diane Marseglia (D) http://www.bucksvictory.com


Dauphin County
Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans’ Court
Rogette Harris (D) www.voterogette.com


Lancaster County
Manheim Township Commissioner
Doreen Kreiner (D) http://www.kreinerforcommissioner.com


Montgomery County
Clerk of Courts
Ann Thornburg Weiss (D) http://voteweiss.com
Controller
Diane B. Morgan (D) http://dianemorgancontroller.com
Recorder of Deeds
Linda M. Hee (D) http://heefordeeds.com

PA House State Government Committee Voting to Deny Voting Rights to People without Photo IDs

The Pennsylvania House State Government Committee Chairman Darryl Metcalfe is expected to hear and vote on HB 934 on Monday morning, May 9, 2011 at 10:00 am. This bill is a dangerous piece of legislation advancing in the state House that will lead to voter suppression if enacted, so it is critical that you take action TODAY!

If enacted, this bill would require every Pennsylvania voter to provide a valid state- or federally-issued photo ID every time he or she goes to the polls:

1. It will create major problems for citizens who are not drivers and who therefore do not have drivers' licenses - domestic violence victims and survivors, senior citizens, urban-dwellers who use public transit, people of color, young people, people with disabilities, etc.
2. The PA County Commissioners' Association has testified that they've seen no evidence of a problem of voter impersonation at the polls.
3. Additionally, based on similar laws implemented in other states, HB 934 will cost PA taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.

Your voice needs to be heard NOW!  Please contact the members of the State House Government Committee and tell them to vote NO on this unnecessary, discriminatory, and expensive bill. 

Here are the members of the State House Government Committee and their email addresses:

• Metcalfe, Daryl D. (R) Chair: dmetcalf@pahousegop.com,
• Grove, Seth M. (R) Secretary: sgrove@pahousegop.com,
• Cox, Jim(R) jcox@pahousegop.com,
• Gabler, Matt (R) mgabler@pahousegop.com,
• Culver, Lynda Schlegel (R) lculver@pahousegop.com,
• Dunbar, George (R) gdunbar@pahousegop.com,
• Evankovich, Eli (R)  eevankov@pahousegop.com,
• Grell, Glen R. (R) ggrell@pahousegop.com,
• Hahn, Marcia M. (R) mhahn@pahousegop.com,
• Kauffman, Rob W. (R) rkauffma@pahousegop.com,
• Knowles, Jerry (R) jknowles@pahousegop.com,
• Krieger, Timothy (R) tkrieger@pahousegop.com,
• Mustio, T. Mark (R) mmustio@pahousegop.com,
• Roae, Brad (R) broae@pahousegop.com,
• Stern, Jerry (R) jstern@pahousegop.com,
• Josephs, Babette, Democratic Chair repjosephs@pahouse.net,
• Payton, Tony J., Jr., Democratic Secretary reppayton@pahouse.net,
• Samuelson, Steve (D) samuelson@pahouse.net,
• Vitali, Greg (D) gvitali@pahouse.net,
• Briggs, Tim (D) repbriggs@pahouse.net,
• DePasquale, Eugene (D) edepasqu@pahouse.net,
• Fabrizio, Florindo J. (D) ffabrizi@pahouse.net,
• Johnson, Kenyatta J. (D) kjohnson@pahouse.net,
• Pashinski, Eddie Day (D) epashins@pahouse.net, and
• Santarsiero, Steven J. (D) repsantarsiero@pahouse.net.

We are encouraging concerned citizens to email these members of the House State Government Committee to ask all members of the Committee to vote NO.  If you are a constituent of one of these members, please include that information in your letter.

FYI, here is the letter that Pennsylvania NOW sent to the entire State House Government Committee this afternoon upon hearing of the impending vote.  You can create your own email and may use the information in our letter to craft your own.

Letter to Members of the PA State House Government Committee, May 6, 2011

On behalf of the approximately 14,000 dues paying members and contributors to the National Organization for Women in Pennsylvania, I am writing to you today to strongly urge you to vote NO on HB 934 that would mandate individuals bring valid state- or federally-issued photo identification in order to cast a ballot.  If passed, this law would disenfranchise thousands of people otherwise legally eligible to vote from making their democratic choice for their representatives and their opinions known on any ballot initiative. Individuals who would be disenfranchised would include, but would not be limited to:

1.    Domestic violence victims who have fled their homes without any form of identification

2.    People with disabilities who are unable to obtain a photo identification either because they are home bound (but could otherwise do an absentee ballot) or because they do not have the money or means to travel to a state location to obtain a photo identification

3.    People of color who for whatever reason do not have photo identification.  Many live in urban areas, do not own cars, and work near home without a need for transportation.  Thus they would not otherwise need this form of identification.

4.    Senior citizens and individuals living in urban or suburban areas who do not have access to public transportation.  This lack of access could be because they are home bound or because they don’t have the money or means to travel to a state-based photo-processing center  to obtain a photo identification.

5.    People who live in rural areas without any means of transportation-public or private-to obtain a state or federally-issued photo id.

6.    People who at or near the time of election have experienced a disaster (such as a home fire where all personal items have perished or a community disaster such as occurred with Hurricane Katrina or the tornadoes throughout the South last week). These individuals may no longer have any identification and no time available to obtain the photo id in order to vote.

We understand that HBHB 934. Given the current economy, we do not believe lawmakers should be creating a new multi-million dollar program to fix a “problem” that doesn't exist. The County Commissioners' Association has testified that there is no evidence of any problem with fraudulent voting and that they oppose this type of legislation as counties will be stuck with additional administrative expenses.

Please vote no on this unnecessary, discriminatory, and expensive bill in committee.

Please let me know how you intend to vote.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Joanne L. Tosti-Vasey, Ph.D

President

Pennsylvania NOW, Inc.

P.O. Box 68

Bellefonte, PA 16823-0068

Email: panow@panow.org

Phone: (814) 280-8571

Fax: (814) 355-3057

Website: http://panow.org

Blog: http://pennsylvanianow.blogspot.com

Spring 2011 Pennsylvania NOW Times

The Pennsylvania NOW Times Spring 2011 issue is now available online. The newsletter includes:

• Our Voters' Guide
• Legislative Updates of the 2011-2012 legislative session in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
• What Are They Thinking!? - article about the legislative attacks on women, children and people of color.
• United We Rise - article on the upcoming October 1, 2011 PA NOW Convention in Bucks County.
• Proposed By-Laws Amendment
• What Can We Do? - tidbits on what you can do for women's equality
• Chapter Exchange

PA NOW PAC Primary Election Endorsements

Pennsylvania NOW PAC Endorsements

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, May 17, 2011. The following recommendations by the state NOW Political Action Committee  (PA NOW PAC) are presented here for your information. These endorsements are current as of April 26.

 

The Pennsylvania NOW PAC makes endorsements for statewide and local races. At the state level, there is one opening for Justice on the PA Superior Court and one openings for  Justice on the PA Commonwealth Court. At the County level, all County Commissioners or County Executive (Allegheny County) plus all  Row Offices are up for election. In addition, some counties have openings for the county-level Court of Common Pleas. At the local and district level, people are running for District Court Justice, Borough and City Councils, Township Supervisors, and Mayors.

The PA NOW PAC has two levels of approval for candidates. "Endorsement" is the highest level of endorsement and is given only to those candidates who support all of our issues and will take a leadership position on those issues if elected. "Support" is given to those candidates who are good on most of our issues but have a problem with one or two and we believe that these candidates are significantly better than their opposition. As of April 26, all listed candidates have received full endorsement.

Statewide

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court  (note: you can only vote for one person in this race)

   Kathryn Boockvar (D) http://www.boockvar.com

        Barbara Behrend Ernsberger (D) http://www.ernsbergerforjudge.com
 

Allegheny County

Controller

Valerie McDonald Roberts (D) http://allieswithvalerie.com

County Executive

Rich Fitzgerald (D) http://www.voterichfitzgerald.com

Pittsburgh City Council, District 9

       Phyllis Copeland-Mitchell (D)  http://mitchell4citycouncil.org

Wilkinsburg Borough Council, 1st Ward

Paige Trice (D)

Wilkinsburg Borough Council, 2nd Ward

       Beverly McCoy (D)

Bucks County

Commissioners (vote for two)

Det Ansinn (D) http://www.bucksvictory.com

Diane Marseglia (D) http://www.bucksvictory.com

Dauphin County

Clerk of Courts

Shamaine Daniels (D) http://www.shamainedaniels.com or http://espanol.shamainedaniels.com

 Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans’ Court

Rogette Harris (D) www.voterogette.com

Lancaster County

Manheim Township Commissioner

Doreen Kreiner (D) http://www.kreinerforcommissioner.com

Montgomery County

Clerk of Courts

Ann Thornburg Weiss (D) http://voteweiss.com

Controller

       Diane B. Morgan (D) http://dianemorgancontroller.com

    Recorder of Deeds

Linda M. Hee (D) http://heefordeeds.com

 

The PA NOW PAC needs your help.

In order to put out a voter’s guide and to assist NOW endorsed candidates for statewide and local office, we need funds donated directly to the PA NOW PAC.  If you are interested in electing public officials who support full equality of women, then please consider donating to the PA NOW PAC. Mail your donation to the PA NOW PAC, P.O. Box 8614, Wilkinsburg, PA 15221.  You can also donate online to the PAC via credit card at http://panow.org/PAC_file/PANOWPAC.htm. Thank you!