Women's Equality Day - Still waiting...

Letter to the editor published in the Daily Gazette on Women’s Equality Day, August 26. 2024:

A reminder from the LWV: Women are no longer property

The League of Women Voters was founded in 1920, the year (most) women got the right to vote with the hard-fought passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. We soon realized that voting was not enough to ensure equality and, in 1923, pivoted to campaigning for an Equal Rights Amendment. It’s bad enough that the ERA – guaranteeing women’s rights under the U.S. Constitution – has not been codified over the last century but . . . now, there are those who would strip women – and other oppressed groups – of what rights they do have.

Women across this nation should be alarmed. For themselves, their daughters, and granddaughters. For their country. SCOTUS already reversed decades of Roe v. Wade protecting the right to abortion. Now the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank, has produced a 920-page step-by-step playbook, titled Project 2025, for enacting draconian measures such as these:

• Eradicate reproductive rights, including abortion and contraception, no exceptions

• Correlate women’s voting rights with motherhood and socially shame childless women

• Dismantle the Department of Education, along with Title VII and Title IX

• Ban mention of “critical race theory” and “gender ideology” from schools

• Eliminate labor protections (including unions and child labor restrictions) while deregulating corporations

• Eliminate programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Head Start

There have also been policy proposals for head-of-household voting only. And you can buy Repeal the 19th Amendment merchandise online. These are not to be taken lightly. All have a significant impact on women, especially lower-income and minority women.

We must raise our voices for “liberty and justice for all” on a national scale. And in New York State this November, voters have the opportunity to approve Proposition 1, the NY ERA, to codify not only reproductive rights but the civil rights of all marginalized groups.

We have waited long enough for justice. Women’s Equality Day, August 26 as designated by President Nixon, has remained a token gesture because there’s no political will to align women’s rights with the rights of men. And now, there are political agendas that would roll back women’s rights even more. Let us remember that women were once classified as “property” in this nation. We didn’t fight this hard for this long to be treated as objects again. We encourage you to vote YES on Proposition 1. And continue to fight for liberty and justice for all. It’s what every American deserves.

Linda McKenney, Co-President, Saratoga County LWV, Gansevoort

Ann Marie Pendergast,Co-President, Saratoga County LWV, Greenfield Center

MaryKate Owens, President, Albany County LWV. Albany

Tiffani T. Silverman, President, Rensselaer County LWV, Troy

Cheryl Nechamen, President, Schenectady County LWV, Schenectady

What Happened to the Farm Bill

What Happened to the Farm Bill

(And Why do Environmentalists Care)

Submitted by Joanna Lasher, LWVSC Environment Chair
August 5, 2024

What is the Farm Bill?

According to the Congressional Research Service, “The Farm Bill is an omnibus, multiyear law that governs an array of agricultural and food programs. It provides an opportunity for policy makers to comprehensively and periodically address agricultural and food issues. In addition to developing and enacting farm legislation, Congress is involved in overseeing its implementation. The farm bill typically is renewed about every five years. Since the 1930s, Congress has enacted about 18 farm bills.” The budget projections for the 10 years for the 2018 farm bill was $867 billion. (Farm Bill Primer, Updated February 29, 2024.)

The massive sum of $867 billion and its impact through 12 categories of programs which affect the nation’s agriculture and food chain make it immediately obvious why there is a lot of controversy among legislators and their constituents over how the money will be spent.

I’ve identified three major groups who are major players in the development of programs for this bill:

The first is big agriculture, a small group of corporations who have controlled our food supply from farm to the marketplace, (including their army of paid lobbyists) who have been, by far, the primary beneficiaries of these funds. It has been felt that this was the cheapest, most efficient way to feed a large population. However, their use of chemical fertilizers poisons the water and the pollinators in addition to other wildlife and endangers our health. The practice of planting a very narrow list of engineered crops which use up the nutrients in the soil is unsustainable.

The second are the small to medium size family farms represented by a non profit organization called Farm Aid: www.farmaid.org. They are very concerned about corporate power in agriculture,

“Their unbridled power grants them increasing political influence over the rules that govern our food system and allows them to manipulate the marketplace—pushing down the prices paid to family farmers and driving them out of business.

“ For eaters, extreme consolidation leaves fewer choices in the grocery aisle and higher prices, while corporate-written policies are sparking growing food safety concerns and less transparency in the marketplace.

“ In sum, our corporate controlled food system damages rural communities, local economies, public health and the soil and water needed to sustain food production….
(Corporate Power, Farm Aid Archives, p. 2)

What Farm Aid wants in the 2023 Farm Bill

They support a Farm Bill that:
“Endorses policy platforms of our partners including National Sustainable Agricultural Coalition (PDF), RAFI, National Family Farm Coalition (PDF), RAFI National Family Farm Coalition (PDF) and others….”

They support a Farm Bill that:
“Addresses the economic crisis of family farms…
Reforms our industrialized agricultural system…
Addresses the corporate monopolies that dominate our food system…
Protects our soil and water and addresses the existential threat of climate change…”

(What Farm Aid Wants in the 2023 Farm Bill, https://www.farmaid.org/issues/farm-policy/what-farm-aid-wants-in-the-2023-farm-bill/ through investing in organic agriculture funding and research, increasing the funding of conservation programs, expanding programs that incentivize climate mitigation practices and prioritizing climate change, soil health and regenerative agricultural research. p. 1 of 9)

The farm industry most impacted in New York State is Dairy. Dairy Farms in America have gone from 460,000 in 1970 t0 28,000 in 1922 (USDA Milk Production Report, May 2023) The cost of production for farmers has risen due largely to the increase of input costs like fuel and feed, while the value of U. S. milk has been kept artificially low so that it can compete as an export on the global market (“U.S. dairy policies drive small farms to ‘get big or get out’ as monopolies get rich,” The Guardian, January 2023 ).

The result is that the average U.S. dairy farm has been in the black only twice since 2000, while profits of dairy cooperatives, export companies, and dairy lobbyists have ballooned (“Economic Costs of Food Monopolies: The Dirty Dairy Racket,” Food and Water Watch, 2023).

This is important to New Yorkers because it impacts food security and impacts the rural economy, not only through the farms themselves, but all the local businesses that service them in our region. Dairy farms are stewards of about 17.4 thousand acres of the land in our state, according to the 2017 census, and today large industrial farms pollute more and emit more greenhouse gases than family run operations because of the way they operate and process their waste. (“Dairy Decline: The Harsh Reality for Farmers and What We Can Do About it,” Farmaid.org 2023)

The third are the non-profit environmental groups. The leading one lobbying for goals in this Bill appears to be the Natural Resources Defense Council based in New York City, but with offices around the country and internationally. They have about 2 million members and a staff of about 500 lawyers, scientists and policy experts.

Their website (www.nrdc.org) lists the following priorities:

1. Reducing barriers to organic agriculture

2. Reducing food waste across the food system

3. Incentivizing cover crops to boost healthy soils

4, Extending and expanding support for healthy soil practices

5. Expanding access to clean energy

6. Providing support for effective rural sanitation

7. Building food systems and advancing equity

“Additional Considerations

Defending against policy riders and attacks that undermine protections for public health and and environment and make it harder for farmers to put food on the table….

(NRDC Fact Sheet 2023 Farm Bill Priorities)

NRDC also strongly opposes any provisions that threaten to slash critical investments made in the 117th Congress dedicated to supporting climate-smart agricultural policies that will help protect the livelihoods of farmers and producers and secure a safe, reliable food supply in the face of a changing climate. (Fact Sheet 2023 Bill Priorities, pp 1-2.)

The last Farm Bill (2018) expired in 2023. The controversy over the broad goals and objectives of this Farm Bill have continued into 2024 with many divisions, often along party lines, delaying renewal.

Barb Thomas Honored for Lifetime of Activism

Barbara Thomas, who had been president or co-president of the League of Women Voters of Saratoga County for 20 years, was honored with the Kathryn Starbuck Lifetime Achievement Award and recognized for a lifetime of activism on behalf of equality, the environment and other social justice issues. The Starbuck award is named for a prominent Saratoga Springs suffragist. Below are the remarks of Patricia Nugent, another past president of LWV Saratoga, introducing Barb at the awards luncheon on June 23, 2024..

Introduction of BarBara Thomas
Kathryn Starbuck Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony

by Patricia Nugent

Gideon Putnam Hotel, Sunday, June 23, 2024

Thank you. It’s a true privilege and a pleasure to be introducing Barbara Thomas today.  She’s always had my admiration, and I’m happy to publicly share the reasons for that. Thank you for the opportunity.

The timing of this event is good, even though a few of us arrived back from NYC around 11:00 last night. Our League of Women Voters took a busload to Broadway to attend the musical SUFFS about the courageous women who led the women’s equality movement in the early 1900s. The theater yesterday – and I hear this is true every day - was filled with sobbing women; women who are so tired of being marginalized and minimized as they continue to fight for equality in our current culture. So, celebrating Kathryn Starbuck’s legacy today is the perfect follow-up for remembering our own power. As is honoring my friend and colleague, Barb.

I’m going to take you way back - to the dark ages (no, that’s not when Barb was born) – take you to that dangerous era when we used to answer the telephone without knowing who was on the other end. (To remind you, phones also had cords that were attached to walls, not attached to people!) I can tell you from personal experience that there was nothing worse than saying “Hello” and hearing, “Oh, hi, Pat. It’s Barb Thomas.” (I worked on that imitation – I want you to appreciate that!) It was bad to hear her voice because Barb always had a knack for matching people’s interests with organizational needs. It’s not only hard to personally turn her down; it’s hard for chronic activists, like me, to decline the well-suited opportunity to make a difference that she offers others.

Because that’s what Barb has been known for in Saratoga County and beyond for more than half a century: Taking action on issues that impact the quality of life for every American. The League of Women Voters, with which much of Barb’s activism is closely associated, advocates and lobbies for fair and equal representation in our democracy, and now, even more so, protection of that democracy. We are a nonpartisan, yet political organization that studies issues, seeks consensus from diverse stakeholders, and then promotes a position – not a party or a candidate, but a position. For that reason, we’re in the unenviable position of offending either major political party at any given point in time. And we have. And we will. But in this hyper-partisan political climate, it gives the League the opportunity to come down on the side of how a representative democracy should always function no matter who’s in charge.

When Barb stepped down as our LWV president in 2011, after 20 consecutive years (who does that?), I had the terrifying honor of stepping into the role. To step into her little tiny shoes that were so huge to fill. I don’t know how she did it so well for so long - with a family, including four sons! I was exhausted after two years and, like LBJ, did not seek a second term. At various junctures, we’ve had as many as four people serving as a steering committee to do the job that Barb did single-handedly for 20 years!  As a League president, you have many stakeholders who are passionate and not shy about expressing their views. I suspect this group knows a little something about that dynamic.

Part of why it’s hard for anyone to fill Barb’s shoes is that she not only carries passion for diverse social issues from climate change to gun safety, she also has the increasingly-rare tendency to speak in terms of facts and data.  She can rattle off the reasons for League positions without notes. Some of us go on instinct as to what feels right; Barb remembers the nuts and bolts, and can clearly articulate them. She doesn’t mince words – she’s a straight talker. If she thinks you’re wrong, she’ll tell you. (Her kids can probably attest to that.) For these reasons and more, she’s also been a valuable League leader at the state level for decades. She is a treasured resource in many circles.

Barb is small but mighty. She puts her money where her mouth is. She walks the talk. She’s a generous donor to the League and beyond. She and her late husband Bob donated 13 acres of their personal property to Saratoga Plan to help preserve public access to Kayaderosseras Creek in West Milton and protect it from development. (Again, who does that?) She also self-funded an annual celebration of Roe to remind us of the importance of that victory to women’s lives. Little did we know the peril we’d be in today. I’m so glad Sasha will be speaking more about that shortly.

Barb’s current mission is to advocate for the right to die peacefully, without undue suffering. She lobbies the NYS Legislature to advance the legalization of medical aid in dying. I’m told everyone who passes her in the hall knows her by name.

I’ve said to her (somewhat seriously), “Barb, you can’t ever die!” to which she calmly replies, “Well, I have to someday.” I’m not convinced…she’s already conquered a couple serious diagnoses. But when that time comes, my world will be smaller and scarier. But certainly better because she was here.

When we recognized her on the bus yesterday for the honor you are bestowing today, she said, “The best way to honor me is to continue the work.” We must all continue the work.

So, I celebrate her today with all my heart. I’m grateful I have a Barbara Thomas in my life. And grateful to this committee for honoring her today. Thank you.

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See the Daily Gazette article on June 21, 2024 about Barbara Thomas’s 50 plus years of activism:
”Walking the walk: Community activist Barbara Thomas still striving toward equality: Schuylerville resident will be honored this weekend with the Kathryn Starbuck Lifetime Achievement Award “

NYS ERA is back on the ballot in November!

NYS ERA is back on the ballot in November!

by The League of Woment Voters of New York (6/19/24)

The League is thrilled to report that the Appellate Division overturned the decision by the lower court and the NYS ERA is now back on the ballot in November!

The League released the following statement today:

"The League of Women Voters of NYS strongly supports the recent decision by the Appellate Division to reinstate the NYS ERA on the ballot in November. The voters have a right to make their voices heard on this critical measure to provide state constitutional protections for so many populations. These rights, including abortion access, should be enshrined in our state constitution. This decision allows the voters to decide. The League encourages all to make their voices heard on November 5th."

Now, it is our turn to educate the voters on this important constitutional amendment and ballot proposal - and encourage all to get out the vote in November!

Remember to urge all to:

FLIP THE BALLOT!

Real-Life Handmaid's Tale?

By Patricia Nugent
Women's Rights Awareness Campaign: a project of LWVSC

Update 6/18/24 from the Times Union newspaper:
”Appellate court puts Equal Rights Amendment back on NY ballot: A constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion rights and prohibit discrimination related to gender has been put back on the November ballot.”
https://www.timesunion.com/capitol/article/appellate-court-puts-equal-rights-amendment-back-19521221.php

The League of Women Voters in New York State has been on the front lines of a campaign to get an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) passed to the NYS Constitution, which would protect the civil rights of marginalized groups as well as reproductive rights. To amend the State Constitution, a bill has to pass the legislative branch two consecutive sessions, prior to being voted on by the general public. This was successfully accomplished so the amendment was queued up for a public vote this November, with various stakeholder groups initiating voter education and awareness.

However, a legal challenge brought by conservatives regarding the protocol for getting it on the ballot was recently upheld by a judge in Western N.Y. That ruling is now being appealed by the NYS Attorney General, and we are hopeful that the appeal will be successful. About 18 bills have taken the same procedural route as this one, but none of those were ever challenged so this is new legal territory. And one can't help but wonder why this particular bill was singled out for a procedural challenge. Or was it challenged for a different reason?

We were asked to report back to our state League on the local impact of this judicial ruling and subsequent interruption of the campaign, Below is the response we submitted, reflecting the deep concern and disappointment of our volunteers, who are primarily women painfully aware of the injustice they continue to face. We will continue to provide updates as the process unfolds. Until then, don't give up on equality for all! It is one of the League's primary missions! Questions and concerns may be directed to us at president@lwvsaratoga.org. Thank you.

************

I was in meetings all day when the news of the decision broke so I was unaware of what had happened. Exiting my meeting, I noted that my cell phone was on fire with texts messages and voicemails. I couldn't comprehend that what they said and wrote could be true: "It must be some kind of sick joke someone is playing to mess with our heads, like a meme that distorts facts," I thought. After realizing this was indeed a Gilead-type move, my stomach turned inside out, and I went into a fugue.

My phone continued to buzz throughout the day. A few women were crying so hard I couldn't understand what they were saying. The text that affected me the most was from a woman in her 70s who wrote, "Why do they hate us so much?" Imagine living your whole life feeling that the culture you live in "hates" you!

I wanted to reassure my team that this is a minor bump. But it is disheartening, which is the point of the legal challenge. Some volunteers have paused their efforts, but many others have declared this only increases their resolve to beat "the Commanders". In some ways, this roadblock demonstrates the need for this amendment even more! Our LWV is attracting more members and volunteers as a result. Because what the patriarchy is failing to recognize is that marginalized groups will not be silent as they strip us of, and deny us, our legal rights as citizens of this democracy. No matter the outcome of the appeal, we will continue to demand our constitutional rights. And will work to counter the imbalance of privilege and power.

This isn't over. See you in the voting booth!