Roll up your sleeves and put on your walking shoes. April is so full of good stuff that you simply must pick one. If you pick two I will kiss you. If you pick three I will mow your lawn. If you pick four, you are my hero! The world needs more heroes!!
Saturday, April 15 Tax Day March in Chicago (11:00 am at Daley Plaza) This is about ethics and transparency in government, so any of the scandals are fair game. “Bankrupt billionaire”, “Russian Puppet”, “Trump U Tax 101 (‘Fool them all of the time’)”
Saturday, April 22 Science March in Chicago (10:00 am east of Michigan and Jackson) Ironically, my kid is in a science symposium this day, so we may need to skip the march. But perhaps we can have a sign on our car with a picture of Einstein’s face, “Glad we welcome immigrants”.
Tuesday, April 25 Illinois Women’s March on Springfield Illinois. (Noon to 3 pm in Springfield) I am taking time off work to go to this. It is really important to help pending legislation strengthening on equal pay laws, protect a woman’s right to choose, and other common sense bills. My sign will be “Lady Liberty is Watching You.”
Saturday, April 29 People’s Climate March in Chicago (Noon at Federal Plaza). We won’t be able to make this one, but it might be the most critical. As my Dad said in the sixties, “Earth, Love it or Leave it!”
Other political action: It is still worthwhile to write to your U.S. Congressmen and Senators asking for independent investigation of the Trump-Russia Scandal. Did you notice the quiet signing Trump did today related to reducing women’s access to healthcare? And here is a good article to help you remind people of some of Trump’s flip-flops, lies and ignorance. And in local politics, write to your legislators and state senators to support the women’s bills pending:
Here is the list of legislation and fact sheets that the Illinois Women Moving Forward Coalition is advocating for:
- HB40 (Feigenholtz) – Safeguarding and ensuring access to legal and safe abortion
- Read the legislation and see the status here
- Fact sheet: HB40
- HB2771 (C. Mitchell)/SB1296 (Hutchinson) – Securing paid sick time and paid Family Medical Leave for working families so that women can take care of themselves and their children
- HB2462 (Moeller)/SB981 (Biss) – Strengthening the Illinois Equal Pay Act to target systemic discrimination
- Read the legislation and see the status here: HB2462 and SB981
- Fact sheet: HB2642/SB981
- HB3215 (Wallace) – Learn with Dignity: Requires a school district to make feminine hygiene products available, at no cost to students, in the bathrooms of school buildings
- Read the legislation and see the status here
- Fact sheet: HB 3215
- HB3904 (Stratton) – require the IDOC to establish gender responsive, trauma-informed, evidence- based and family-centered practices, policies & programs throughout all women’s correctional facilities.
- Read the legislation and see the status here
- Fact sheet: HB3904
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