ERA Vote is Monday — Sample Email, 5 to Call NOW

Click here for the sample emails and contact info.

The Vote is Noon on Monday. We have very strong opposition, and we need this vote in order to move on to the House of Delegates — where we will need to double down.

Call today and Monday. Email and Tweet your hearts out over the weekend!

Thank you, Virginia!! For all the energy you have given, and all you will give. You are the ones we have been waiting for!

For women!

Simone Roberts, your friendly Web Editor, etc., etc., etc.

Progress (partial) for Women over Guns and Stalkers

** When they know we’re looking, we win!! ** When they think we’re not looking, they’re protect a gun more than a woman.

“In a dramatic turn of events, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee voted 10-4 today to approve SB 943, a bill that would prohibit those convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, sexual battery, and stalking from purchasing and possessing firearms. The vote comes just two days after the committee initially rejected SB 943 following a controversial hearing in which Chairman Tommy Norment (R-3rd) appeared to announce the bill had been approved. The bill was later listed as defeated by a 10-5 vote in Virginia’s Legislative Information System.”

http://csgv.org/releases/2015/virginia-committee-feels-pressure-changes-vote-protect-women-guns/

ERA Vote on MONDAY: The Swing Votes and the whole Senate

ERA Vote on MONDAY: The Swing Votes and the whole Senate.

Let’s Keep the Momentum Up! — Legislation Update

It’s exciting to report some momentum in our women’s agenda. Women’s voices – and women’s votes – may be getting through to more elected officials. Please continue to contact them – there’s more to do (read on).   Yesterday was a good day for Virginia women. A bill to restrict access to guns for those convicted of domestic violence (Senate Bill 943, patroned by Senator Barbara Favola) and another bill to expand the anti-stalking statute (Senate Bill 1297, patroned by Senator Don McEachin) passed a Senate committee.   But, as I said, there’s more to do. A companion gun bill (introduced by Delegate Kathleen Murphy, whom NOW members worked to elect) will be heard tomorrow (Friday) in House Militia, Police, and Public Safety Subcommittee #1. It needs immediate calls. The bill (House Bill 2085) would restrict possession of guns by those convicted of domestic abuse, stalking, sexual battery, and other violent misdemeanors. Please call and email these delegates and ask them to vote YES on HB2085 to keep guns away from domestic abusers:  Delegate Thomas Wright  (804) 698-1061       DelTWright@house.virginia.gov Delegate Todd Gilbert       (804) 698-1015      DelTGilbert@house.virginia.gov Delegate Michael Webert (804) 698-1018       DelMWebert@house.virginia.gov Delegate Matthew Fariss  (804) 698-1059      DelMFariss@house.virginia.gov  Delegate Rosalyn Tyler     (804) 698-1075      DelRTyler@house.virginia.gov There’s also a good anti-stalking bill in the House of Delegates, patroned by Jackson Miller (HB1453). We’ve contacted Delegate Miller about our support for the bill; it should be heard tomorrow. More great news: The ERA resolution passed the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee and will go to the Senate floor. NOW and our allies in the Women’s Equality Coalition continue to work hard to pass the ERA. Watch Virginia ERA Network for updates. Bad news: An abortion ban bill has been introduced by Delegate Dave LaRock. The bill, HB2321, would unconstitutionally ban all abortions after 20 weeks. Elections matter! We worked hard to defeat Tea Partier LaRock. All 100 delegate seats and all 40 senate seats are up this November. Our Virginia NOW Political Action Committee (PAC) will again be working hard for candidates who support women and equality.  Stay tuned – we need your support!   Also Contact Board of Health We have until February 11 to submit comments supporting the amended TRAP regulations for women’s health centers. Submit your comment today. Thank you for all you do every day for women and girls. Marj Signer, Virginia NOW Legislative Vice-President

Take Action – Keep Virginia’s Health Centers Open!

In a huge victory for women’s health, the Virginia Board of Health voted to amend medically-unnecessary “TRAP” restrictions designed to shut down women’s health centers. The Board’s vote was the first step toward ensuring that rules for women’s health centers are based on medicine, not politics. But we’re not done yet and we need your help.

We have until February 11 to tell the Board we support their vote.

The ACLU of Virginia has set up a special website with suggested messages and the link to the public comment website. Please take a minute to visit the site and make your comment before February 11.

The restrictions on women’s health centers are about denying access to abortion, period. Three of 21 women’s health centers in Virginia have been forced to close or stop providing abortion services, in part due to these restrictions. If the restrictions remain unchanged, additional health centers will close – cutting off access to preventive health care such as cancer screenings to thousands of Virginia women.

Please submit your comment now.

Thank you for all you do every day for women and girls.
Marj Signer

Virginia NOW Legislative Vice-President

ERA Passed one vote, with moderate enthusiasm

One move in the right direction, more work to do TODAY. Call, email, tweet. Light them up, folks! The ERA must pass a critical vote today at 4pm. What, Who, How are all at the link!!!!

Virginia ERA Network

Today the Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee voted to “pass by indefinitely” in the ERA (SJ216). This means the committee voted not to vote, but to pass the bill back to the full Privileges and Elections Committee.

While several on the CA subcommittee are pro-woman candidates, some endorsed by VA NOW (and thank you all who support women!!!), the group as a whole remained tepid on the matter of women’s civil equality.

Rather than vote yes or no, the CA chose to kick the bill back to the full committee.

4pm today (Tue. Jan. 27) the full committee meets. Complete contact information can be got on our Facebook page here: CLICK THIS.

Or, read on.

Best to call the senators’ offices as well, click their names on this page here.

A win here means the ERA (SJ216) goes to the floor of the Senate. And then!, we get to contact…

View original post 820 more words

ERA, Make or Break Vote Tues 9am, then maybe at 4pm

CORRECTED!! ERA, SJ216 TO SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS, 9 AM TUESDAY, THIRD FLOOR EAST CONFERENCE ROOM AT THE GA.

IF SUCCESSFUL, BILL WILL MOVE THROUGH TO P&E (as below) AT 4 PM.

BOTH COMMITTEES NEED CONTACT FROM US, FROM AS MANY EQUALITY SUPPORTERS AS POSSIBLE.

CORRECTED COMMITTEE AND CONTACT INFORMATION BELOW.

Progress! Hurray! The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee has the ERA on its docket forTUESDAY, JANUARY 27TH AT 3 PM. All the Twitters and the email contacts below are focused for this committee and this vote on Tuesday.

Advocates from the whole WEA Coalition will be on hand to encourage these fine folks to approve SJ216  and move on to a vote in the Senate.

This vote makes or breaks the ERA for this year, advocates. No here means no cross-over, no vote in the House of Delegates. Done.

We need ERA YES on TUESDAY!!

Dems, Miller and Alexander need our support.

GOP, Martin, Smith, Reed, and Garrett (Chair) are not supportive. They must be papered with emails, tweets, phone calls.  We might be outvoted 4 to 2.  

NO HIDDEN VOTES ON CIVIL RIGHTS.
SJ216 MUSS PASS THROUGH.

Chair Vogel, of the P&E is very supportive of the Equal Rights Amendment.Though a Republican, and not with us on matters of choice, she has stated to Women Matter that she’ll staunchly support the bill.

Please be sure to email/tweet/call your support to her and thank for standing for standing with women for equality.

If you want to join our advocates at the General Assembly, they’re meeting at Senate Room A. Please,RSVP to this Facebook event.

ERAAction will lead an online campaign to tweet and message the committee: their Twitter, and their Facebook. Of course, we’ll be lighting up our social media on Monday and Tuesday, too.

To email the Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee and demand SJ216 pass through and move toward a public and proud vote in the Senate on this essential matter of civil rights for women. No hidden vote will be acceptable to the women of the Commonwealth.

Copy this list in your To Line: 

“Tom Garrett” <district22@senate.virginia.gov>, “Kenneth Alexander” <district05@senate.virginia.gov>, “John Miller” <district01@senate.virginia.gov>, “Bill Carrico” <district40@senate.virginia.gov>, “Steve Martin” <district11@senate.virginia.gov>, “Raplh Smith” <ralphsmithsenate@cox.net>, “Bryce Reeves” <district17@senate.virginia.gov>

Dems, Miller and Alexander need our support.

GOP, Martin, Smith, Reeves, and Garrett (Chair)
all unfriendly

Sample Text:

Dear Chairperson Garret and Honorable Members of the Subcommittee,I write simply to insist that SJ216 – on the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment -pass through and move toward a public and proud vote in the Senate on this essential matter of civil rights for women. No hidden vote will be acceptable to the women of the Commonwealth, and your support of women’s essential constitutional equality will be well remembered.

Women are not yet fully recognized citizens in the Constitution. That’s why we have this patch work of laws “protecting” us. We are not otherwise fully enfranchised citizens assure of our civil rights.The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is often cited as a reason not to pass the ERA because it provides equality, thus making the ERA no longer necessary (and one that Virginian legislators often point to). Unfortunately, Section 2 of the 14th Amendment goes to deliberate lengths to exclude women,  with the wording male citizen and male inhabitant 3. Exclusion of women from the 14th was carefully designed. The 19th Amendment would not have been necessary to give females the right to vote, had the 14th Amendment been written more inclusively.

The simplest route to reducing the number of public school children living in poverty — which interferes with learning — is to pay their mothers equally.

The Congress has passed four laws since the 1963 Equal Pay Act, in attempts to assure women pay equity in the workplace. All of these leave the burden on women to discover inequality and sue for compensation, rather than on the employer to be on the bright side of the law. The Equal Rights Amendment would give force to these laws. It would reduce the number of civil cases of women seeking compensation for lost wages. The ERA would assure women and families of an average increase of 23% more income–more in communities of color, where women earn as little as 64 cents to a white man’s dollar. Most of these women are mothers, and that missing  pay a real hardship for their children, leading to long-term educational deficits. This missing annual income also negatively affects women’s 401(k) contributions, and the Social Security they are saving for themselves. The ERA would increase middle class economic power in the present, put American school children in a better position to learn,  and reduce the number of economically stressed or poor senior citizens (most of whom are women) in the future.

There is no downside to this amendment. I invite you to read further on its benefits here: Virginia ERA Network.

With my thanks for your service to Commonwealth,

Your Name
Your Address

 *  *  *  *

Now, we also need to continue to contact the P&E Committee, which may get the bill at 4 pm Tuesday afternoon.

To email the (corrected) Senate Privileges and Elections Committee and ask them to move forward on ratification of the ERA, SJ216, here’s the email addresses and a sample text:Copy this list into your To line:

“Jill Holtzman Vogel” <district27@senate.virginia.gov >, “Bill Carrico” <district40@senate.virginia.gov>, “Creigh Deeds” <district25@senate.virginia.gov>, “Janet Howell” <district32@senate.virginia.gov>, “Steve Martin” <district11@senate.virginia.gov>, “Mark Obenshain” <district26@senate.virginia.gov>, “Bryce Reeves” <district17@senate.virginia.gov>, “John Edwards” <district21@senate.virginia.gov>, “A. Donald McEachin”  <district09@senate.virginia.gov>, “Ralph K. Smith” <district19@senate.virginia.gov>, “Thomas Garrett” <district22@senate.virginia.gov>, “Kenneth Alexander” <district05@senate.virginia.gov>, “John Miller” <district01@senate.virginia.gov>,”John Cosgrove” <district14@senate.virginia.gov>, “Rosalyn Dance” <district16@senate.virginia.gov>

The Senate Privileges and Elections committee 

meets when the senate is in session, 

Tuesday, 4:00 P.M. – Senate Room A 

in the General Assembly Building at 9th and Broad.

Sample Text:

Dear Chairperson Vogel and Honorable Members of the Committee,

I write to urge you to support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in 2015 (SJ216). The Equal Rights Amendment is a civil rights and economic stability issue for all women and communities in Virginia — and the nation.Women are not yet fully recognized citizens in the Constitution. That’s why we have this patch work of laws “protecting” us. We are not otherwise fully enfranchised citizens assure of our civil rights.

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is often cited as a reason not to pass the ERA because it provides equality, thus making the ERA no longer necessary (and one that Virginian legislators often point to). Unfortunately, Section 2 of the 14th Amendment goes to deliberate lengths to exclude women,  with the wording male citizen and male inhabitant 3. Exclusion of women from the 14th was carefully designed. The 19th Amendment would not have been necessary to give females the right to vote, had the 14th Amendment been written more inclusively.

The simplest route to reducing the number of public school children living in poverty — which interferes with learning — is to pay their mothers equally.

The Congress has passed four laws since the 1963 Equal Pay Act, in attempts to assure women pay equity in the workplace. All of these leave the burden on women to discover inequality and sue for compensation, rather than on the employer to be on the bright side of the law. The Equal Rights Amendment would give force to these laws. It would reduce the number of civil cases of women seeking compensation for lost wages. The ERA would assure women and families of an average increase of 23% more income–more in communities of color, where women earn as little as 64 cents to a white man’s dollar. Most of these women are mothers, and that missing  pay a real hardship for their children, leading to long-term educational deficits. This missing annual income also negatively affects women’s 401(k) contributions, and the Social Security they are saving for themselves. The ERA would increase middle class economic power in the present, put American school children in a better position to learn,  and reduce the number of economically stressed or poor senior citizens (most of whom are women) in the future.

There is no downside to this amendment. I invite you to read further on its benefits here: Virginia ERA Network.

I ask that you encourage and support your colleagues in the Senate, and especially the House of the Delegates, to bring the ERA to the floor for a public and affirmative vote for ratification. No matter of American’s civil rights should dealt with in secret. Stand proudly by your positions on women’s equality.

Work progresses, the meanwhile,  to lift the arbitrary deadline in the US Congress. The states wait for Congress. Congress waits for the states. Virginia could be the state to bring all American women out of this catch-22. At long last, it could be Virginia that makes all the difference for women.Let Virginia be a proud leader for civil rights and economic stability in the 21st Century.

Women belong in the Constitution. It’s time.

With my thanks for your service,

Your Name

Your Address

(*) (*) (*)

To comment publicly on the Senate bill: click here.

To tweet the Senate:@VASenate
To tweet the Senate GOP:@VASenateGOP
To tweet the Senate Dems: @VASenateDems

To Tweet the P&E Committee (a complicated group, indeed):

@JillVogel    @KennyAlexander    @BillCarrico  @CreighDeeds   @MarkObenshain

@Donald_McEachin    @ReevesVA    @JohnMillerforVA    @JohnCosgroveVA

Could not locate Twitters for Janet Howell, Steve Martin, John Edwards, Ralph Smith, Tom Garrett.

Sample Tweets:

SJ216 to the floor in 2015. No hidden votes on #civilrights issues. Stand by your vote. #‎DemandERA‬ ‪#‎ERAyesVA‬#EqualRightsAmendment is income equality, civil rights, family stability. Tell your peers to join you to#‎DemandERA‬ ‪#‎ERAyesVA‬

Support & vote for SJ216, encourage colleagues. #CivilRights for women cannot wait another year! #‎DemandERA‬ ‪#‎ERAyesVA‬

#14thAmendment does not cover ♀  #EqualRightsAmendment extends 14th to ♀ . Plz inform colleagues. #‎DemandERA‬ ‪#‎ERAyesVA‬

Repeat as often as possible. 

With my thanks for your patience, and my great hope for success on Tuesday!

Simone Roberts — Web Editor / Historian / ERA Coordinator — VA NOW

Protect Breastfeeding in Virginia

The more we learn about breastfeeding, the better we know it to be on many levels. Virginia NOW supports women in every choice they make — out of free will, and necessity — so we are not proud that Virginia is one of only 3 states not to protect breastfeeding in public places. For mothers who can, and choose to, nourish their children in this way — please consider sending your own version of this email to Delegate BaCote.

Meanwhile, VA NOW keep working for related reproductive justice policies that make parenting choices truly the result of parental choice, and not merely the state or the employer’s whim.

To read the bill, HB 1499, and comment publicly on it: click here.

*   *   *   *   *

To: “DelMBaCote@house.virginia.gov” <DelMBaCote@house.virginia.gov>

Subject: Support HB 1499, Breastfeeding in Public Places, Mother’s Right (Albo, McClellan)

Dear Delegate BaCote,

In many Virginia families, breastfeeding is important to the health and well-being of mothers and infants. It’s essential that mothers be allowed to breast feed in places outside the home – but Virginia is one of only three states that lacks this specific public protection for women. Our current law from 2002 is narrowly written and only applies to property owned, leased, or controlled by the state. HB1499 (Albo, patron; McClellan, co-patron) would expand protections to any place the mother is lawfully present.

Virginia NOW believes this is a common sense measure to bring Virginia up to speed with standards across the country. We ask you to support HB 1499 in House Health, Welfare & Institutions subcommittee #2.

Thank you for your support of this and your leadership on issues of concern to women and families.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address

News from the Virginia Women’s Equality Coalition

Good news first:

Redistricting: Senate Privileges and Elections advanced several proposals promoting nonpartisan redistricting yesterday afternoon and postponed action on additional measures until next week.

Not So Good News:

Birth control coverage: Senate Commerce and Labor killed Senator Barker’s birth control coverage bill Monday afternoon, voting along party lines to pass it by indefinitely. It was also referred to the Health Reform Commission, which is unlikely to take action.  — So, for moment birth control coverage remains an option in Virginia. Read your plans carefully before buying, or buying in.

ACTION — Equal Pay: Senate Commerce and Labor passed by Senator McEachin’s equal pay bill on Monday. It should be back on the docket for Monday, January 26. — So, before Monday, you may contact this committee (use the contact list here) and borrow from the Fair Pay fact sheet to make your case. Wages should be based only on position and performance — not gender or race.

Minimum Wage: Senate Commerce and Labor killed Senator Marsden’s minimum wage bill Monday afternoon. — So, a wage floor of $10.10 will require on-going effort.

The VA Women’s Equality Coalition,
with our own VP of Legislative Affairs Marj Signer on the left in gray,
and our President Diana Egozcue in two layers of blue on the right.

Legislative Update — Why and How to Make Virginia a Safer Place to Live

Consider the facts:

• Murdered UVA student Hannah Graham might be alive if Virginia had stricter laws about reporting campus sexual assaults. The man charged with her abduction previously was accused of rape while a student at Liberty University and again later at Christopher Newport University. Authorities investigated the charges by authorities, but no charges were filed.
• Gun and domestic violence are a lethal combination. Nationally, there are nearly 500 domestic gun violence deaths each year – more than twice the number of servicewomen killed since the Korean War.

What can we do to make Virginia safer for women? Two bills are before the General Assembly that could help prevent domestic violence gun murders and reduce campus sexual assaults. They are a bill on removing guns from convicted abusers and a bill on reporting campus sexual assault. It’s too soon to say if real progress will be made on either but some Republicans and most Democrats are showing interest–perhaps recognizing the importance of the women’s vote.

Want to do something about domestic violence and campus sexual assault? Meet with legislators during the Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance advocacy day Wednesday, January 28. Let high school and college students know about this opportunity to make a difference! Sign up here. 

Read on and let’s get to work! Thank you for all you do every day for equality, 

Marj Signer, VA NOW Legislative V-P

Guns and Domestic Violence: Legislation to prevent gun violence is difficult to pass (in fact, the trend is the reverse – the sensible law limiting handgun purchases to one a month was overturned by then-Gov. McDonnell) but there is a possibility of getting Republican support for a bill that would remove guns from those convicted of certain domestic violence misdemeanors – only for a limited period of time but that’s better than nothing.
Senator Barbara Favola’s bill – SB943 – would prohibit a person who has been convicted of misdemeanor stalking, assault and battery of a family or household member, or sexual battery from possessing or transporting a firearm. To placate those fearful of a criminal losing unfettered access to his guns, her bill includes a process for reinstating his right to possess or transport a firearm. Most Virginia Republicans (and a few Democrats) either want to make guns more accessible or oppose restrictions but limiting convicted abusers’ access to guns may be one thing that they will support.

Campus Sexual Assault: Mostly in response to the shock over the murder of Hannah Graham, legislators are considering steps to improve how campus assaults are handled. They held a two-hour committee hearing Friday afternoon to try to sort out the complex issues involved in reporting campus sexual assault.

Virginia NOW is backing HB1343, Democratic Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn’s bill, which would require that campus police forces and law-enforcement agencies notify the local Commonwealth’s attorney of any investigation involving felony criminal sexual assault on campus within 48 hours of beginning the investigation. This is a reasonable bill that would protect victims’ options about reporting while providing information to non-campus authorities. For full information, read Legislators discuss reporting requirements on sexual violence on campuses (The News and Advance), which is also excerpted below.

In other news, the Senate Republicans killed off this year’s minimum wage increase request (to increase the floor to $10.10 an hour over the next two-and-a-half years). This bill was a priority for VA NOW and for the new Women’s Equality Coalition because women make up a majority of low-wage workers in Virginia and it’s essential to close the pay gap and promote economic security. More states are moving to increase the minimum wage, though: 29 states and the District of Columbia have minimums above the federal floor, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Maybe Virginia will also decide to enter the 21st Century but not this year.

Legislators discuss reporting requirements on sexual violence on campuses 

By Alicia Petska | Friday, January 16, 2015, The News and Advance)

Legislators tried to untangle a complex web of federal laws governing colleges and reports of sexual violence Friday as they prepare to consider a stack of bills on the issue.College representatives were critical of proposals to create a mandatory reporting requirement that would compel them to report assaults to local prosecutors.

Not all victims want to file a criminal complaint and that should be respected, officials said.

“Survivors need to have voices, choices and control over what happens in their case,” said Christine Dennis Smith, who oversees counseling at the Virginia Tech Women’s Center.

Mandatory reporting may further traumatize a victim and deter others from seeking help, said representatives ranging from campus police to Title IX coordinators. Title IX is a federal law that, in part, requires colleges to conduct an administrative investigation of sexual assault reports.

Multiple bills dealing with sexual violence on campuses have been filed in the wake of growing public concern and last year’s killing of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham. The man charged with her abduction, 32-year-old Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., also faces charges on a 2005 assault in Northern Virginia. He previously was accused of rape while a student at Liberty University and again later at Christopher Newport University. Those cases were investigated by authorities, but no charges were filed….

On Friday, state delegates convened a joint session of the House Courts of Justice and House Education committees and asked to hear from those who could help them better understand the current reporting process and legal standards under Title IX and the federal Clery Act. Several lawmakers acknowledged the importance of honoring a victim’s wishes, but said they felt an obligation to protect others from serial predators. That leaves them grappling with the question of how to address those sometimes opposing interests.

“The issue is about balancing individual autonomy and control versus a community’s interest in putting bad guys in jail,” said House Minority Leader David Toscano, D-Charlottesville.

“When we start talking about autonomy and a person’s ability to maintain control over whether or not something gets reported, you’re potentially putting other people, other women, at risk by not reporting somebody who might do it again.”

…Cynthia Micklem, an assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Richmond, said mandatory reporting doesn’t have to mean pushing a reluctant victim into a criminal case. “A well-informed and trained office is going to talk to the victim and allow the victim to still make decisions,” she said. “What mandatory reporting can do is notify law enforcement, someone outside the university, of what is occurring. Because right now, we have no way of knowing who these perpetrators are” even in cases of repeat offenders…..

Several lawmakers expressed interest in drafting a standardized script for college officials to ensure all victims are provided the same information and are adequately informed of their rights. … When some suggested it’d be difficult to write a script in time for the current General Assembly session, which ends in February, Del. Robert Bell, R-Charlottesville, said flatly, “We are going to write a script. The script will be written in two weeks. We would love to have your guidance, but something is going to happen.”

Come to Richmond for an up-close look at the legislative process. The League of Women Voters (LWV) Legislative Roundtable is held at 8:30 a.m. every Wednesday morning at the General Assembly Building and is an opportunity to hear legislators and advocacy organizations. Lobby days are held by individual organizations and coalitions and include:

• The ERA coalition, 9:30 am Wednesday, January 21, directly after the LWV roundtable. Contact VA NOWPresident Diana Egozcue.
• The Pro-Choice Coalition Day of Action, in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Richmond, January 22, the Roe v. Wade anniversary. RSVP here.
• The Health Care for All Virginians Coalition, January 28.This coalition advocates for expanding Medicaid for low-income Virginians.
• The Sexual and Domestic Violence Action  Alliance advocacy day is Wednesday, January 28. Sign up here. 
• VA NOW and League of Women Voters Women’s Lobby Day , Wednesday, February 4. Contact Marj at NOW for more information.