U.S. FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/ |
UNITED STATES FORUM
THE PURPOSE of the United States Forum is to identify major issues affecting women, children, and education upon which the United States members may take action. Save the Dates: National Legislative Seminar - Coming March 15-18, 2020 Check out the NLS 2020 for details. The page will be updated with new information as it become available. |
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #190, OCTOBER 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
THE DOCTOR IS IN THE HOUSE
WOMEN IN CONGRESS
PROTECTING AMERICA’S LUNG ACT
COURT ACTION INVOLVING SECRETARY DEVOS
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEBSITE
CALLING YOUR LEGISLATOR
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
Now is the time to make plans to attend the National
Legislative Seminar. The seminar
will be held at the Holiday Inn Crystal City on March 15-18, 2020. The
registration form can be found on the United States Forum website (www.usforumdkg.org). The
main issues we will be addressing are issues such as human trafficking, gun
violence as it pertains to school shootings, opioid crisis and vaping among our
students, and mental health issues with students. There will be additional
topics from survey taken at the international conferences this past summer.
Before you come to the NLS, get with the other ladies in your state and schedule your visits to your legislators for Tuesday, March 17. This is our day to visit Capitol Hill. Even if you are unable to get a time set with one of your legislators, plan on stopping by their office and leaving some information on the US Forum, a business card, and issues of concern. The steering committee will be providing folders and brochures for each state to use. Look for that communication to come out by email in early January. However, now is the time to start making those legislative contacts.
Be sure and take advantage
of one or more of the optional tours that are provided. Check your registration
form for more details. The Capitol Steps is a popular one on Saturday night,
March 14. Come and enjoy the networking with other DKG members.
THE DOCTOR IS IN THE HOUSE
Representative Dr. Kim Schrier, a newly elected representative from Washington, is a pediatrician. She introduced H.J.Res.38 entitled ”Removing the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment” which currently has 213 cosponsors. Dr. Schier also introduced the Vaccines Act of 2019 (H.R.2862). This act would “provide for a national system for surveillance of vaccine rates, to authorize research on vaccine hesitancy, and increase public understanding of the benefits of immunizations.” This bill currently has 23 cosponsors.
WOMEN IN CONGRESS
This session of Congress has more women than any other in the past. A couple of groups of women have been formed each of which has a commonality. You have almost certainly heard of “The Squad” which is comprised of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Ilhan Omar (MN), and Ayanna Presley (MA) who are all members of the House of Representatives.
Another lesser known group of women in the House of Representatives has termed themselves “The Badasses.: These women have all served in either the armed forces or the CIA and therefore have similar experiences and agreements. The members of the Badasses are Abigail Spanberger (VA, CIA). Elaine Luria (VA, Navy), Chrissy Houlahan (PA, CIA), Elissa Slotkin (MI, CIA), and Mikie Sherrill (NJ, Navy).
Another military woman the House is Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii who is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Although they are not organized into a group there are several women with military experience in the Senate. They are Joni Ernst (R-IA) Army; Martha McSally (R-AZ) Air Force; and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) who was an Army helicopter pilot. Ms. Duckworth is the first woman double amputee elected to the Senate and the first Senator to give birth while serving in Congress.
The women have caused several accommodations to be made notably allowing a member to be on the floor of the House with an infant and permitting Moslem headwear to be worn on the floor.
We even have an active DKG member in the U.S. Congress. She is Senator Kirsten Sinema of Arizona.
PROTECTING AMERICA’S LUNG ACT
This information comes from GovTrack.com. The bill (H.R.4742) was introduced on October 18 by Rep.
Thomas Suozzi (D-NY3).
As written, this would tax vaping products like vape pens or e-cigarettes the
same as the federal tax rate as traditional cigarettes.
Supporters of the bill
believe that it takes on a public health crisis. The number of teenagers who
are becoming addicted to nicotine is staggering.
Opponents
of the bill believe that vaping and e-cigarettes are safer than traditional
cigarettes. If the price is kept lower, more people will be encouraged to quit.
To find out more about
this bill check out the article at https://govtrackinsider.com/protecting-american-lungs-
act-would-tax-vaping-products-like-e-cigarettes-the-
same-as-traditional-952f10b2d0dd
You can keep up with this bill’s progress through GovTrack.com
COURT ACTION INVOLVING SECRETARY DEVOS
Corinthian Colleges Inc., one of the largest for-profit college chains in the nation declared bankruptcy in 2015. The Security and Exchange Act of 1934 is the basis of action taken against Corinthian Colleges, Inc. an organization which also ran WyoTech, Heald and Everest. The bankruptcy was a result of several investigations by the federal government. As a result of the court action an estimated 335,000 former students would have their federal student loan debts voided and would receive a refund for past payments on those loans. Department of Education Secretary DeVos was charged with implementing the court decision. Instead of voiding the debts and repaying past payments, Secretary DeVos has continued collecting payments even going so far as to garnish wages and tax refunds. After several court actions the most recent of which was handed down on October 8, 2019, Secretary DeVos was again directed to refund money and discontinue collecting payments and also to pay a $100,000 fine.
###
=========================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #189, SEPTEMBER 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
HEALTH INSURANCE UPDATE
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
STUDENT LOANS
POSSIBLE NEW MEMBER OF CONGRESS
HATE IN AMERICA
FREE CLASSROOM RESOURCES
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
WHISTLEBLOWER P.S.
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEBSITE
CALLING YOUR LEGISLATOR
CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
Most of us are aware of the process of amending the U.S. Constitution. (I’m still waiting for the Equal Rights Amendment to pass.) Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides for the convening of a “Constitutional Convention” to substantially change or even to rewrite the Constitution. Earlier this year I received snail mail proposing convening a national Constitutional Convention. Apparently, this has been receiving some attention in some of the states. I was amazed to learn that the 2019 Mississippi Legislature was considering this. That there was considerable dissent in that body does not surprise me. I do not know what is happening in other states, but this whole concept came as a great shock. It would seem that a total rewrite would neglect to cover some situations which are now covered either by law or by the original constitution.
HEALTH INSURANCE UPDATE
The Affordable Care Act is still in the courts. The individual mandate (anyone not subscribing to ACA) would pay a penalty. The individual mandate was in effect through 2018 but disappears as of 2019. Through the end of 2019 ACA provides
The American Medical Association has its own recommendations. “Continue efforts to cover the uninsured, and ensure that any future proposals do not cause individuals covered as a result of Affordable Care Act provisions to become uninsured, maintain key insurance market reforms, such as pre-existing conditions, guaranteed issue and parental coverage for young adults, stabilize and strengthen the individual insurance market, ensure that low/moderate income patients are able to secure affordable and adequate coverage, ensure that Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and other safety net programs are adequately funded, reduce regulatory burdens that detract from patient care and increase costs, provide greater cost transparency throughout the health care system, incorporate common sense medical liability reforms and continue the advancement of delivery reforms and new physician-led payment models to achieve better outcomes, higher quality and lower spending trends.”
Currently during the Democratic debates Medicare For All has been discussed. One main part of the debate is whether or not people could keep their private insurance. It is not clear whether the private insurance option would cover preexisting conditions and/or denial of coverage for selected major medical expenses.
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R.7) which directs the EEOC to collect compensation data on employees with respect to the sex, race, and national origin from employers. This could be used to enforce laws prohibiting pay discrimination. The bill has passed the House with 239 cosponsors, and it was sent to the Senate where it has not been brought up for a vote. An act of this type has been introduced in every session of Congress for at least the last ten years. This legislation would begin addressing the pay discrimination identified in the case of Lilly Ledbetter which was partially remedied by the Lilly Ledbetter Act of 2009.
Background: Lilly Ledbetter worked as a supervisor for Goodyear Tire and Rubber. After she retired, she got an anonymous note informing her that she had been paid substantially less than men with similar experience and seniority. (She was paid $3,727 per month whereas men were being paid $4,286 to $5,236 per month.) She sued the company for back pay, but she eventually lost the suit in the Supreme Court because her suit was filed over 180 days after she received her last paycheck. Although the Supreme Court majority ruled against her, Justices Ginsburg, Stevens, Souter and Breyer ruled in her favor. In an unusual move, Justice Ginsburg wrote the dissent and read it from the bench. She argued against applying the 180-day limit to file pay discrimination, because discrimination often occurs in small increments over long periods of time. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 lifted the time limitation on filing pay discrimination suits; however, it did not allow Mrs. Ledbetter to receive a settlement for back pay nor did it attack the problem of sexual pay discrimination. Lilly Ledbetter not only lost the back pay due to discrimination, but her Social Security was and is based on her lower pay thus reducing her continued income over the rest of her lifetime.
STUDENT LOANS
There are several bills in Congress dealing with student loans. These include the Student Loan Repayment Assistance Act of 2019 (H.R.3098), The Student Loan Interest Tax Deduction Expansion Act (H.R.1070), Student Loan Forgiveness (H.R.3098), The Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act of 2019 (S.1414), and the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act (S.768). None has been brought to the floor for a vote in either house.
POSSIBLE NEW MEMBER OF CONGRESS
In the 1835 Treaty of New Echota, the Cherokee Nation was granted the right to appoint a delegate to serve as a member to the U.S. House of Representatives. On September 5, 2019 the first person to fill this position was selected by the tribe. The next step in the process would be whether the House of Representatives will seat this delegate. If seated this delegate would presumably have the same rights as delegates from the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These officials cannot vote on the House floor, but they can serve on and vote in committees, introduce legislation, and participate in debate.
HATE IN AMERICA
There are currently many hate groups and different types of hate groups. After 9/11 the federal government found only one organization which had been tracking terrorist leaning groups in the U.S. This was the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama and founded in 1971. In the intervening years the center has been involved in a number of law suits ranging from crowding in juvenile detention facilities, killings of gay people, school discrimination problems and other problems most of which they have won. The center has recently published maps showing various types of hate groups. It can be found at https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map. The map allows one to check hate group variety as well as how many and which such groups exist in your area.
FREE CLASSROOM RESOURCES
The National Women’s History Museum (https://www.womenshistory.org) contains history lesson plans, biographies, posters and videos.
The Energy Teacher Resource (http://energyteacher.org) created by the Association of Science Technology Centers designed for teaching grades K-12 provides videos and
energy literacy resources.
The Green Room (https://bit.ly./2Goy/OA) is another free K-12 resource which provides suggested classroom activities created by the National Wildlife Federation to provide suggestions on activities dealing with wildlife, habitat, and ecosystems.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
Now is the time to make plans to attend the National Legislative Seminar. The seminar will be held at the Holiday Inn Crystal City on March 15-18, 2020. The registration form and additional information can be found on the United States Forum website (www.usforumdkg.org). We look forward to seeing you in March!
WHISTLEBLOWER P.S.
(H.R.3625) PCAOB Whistleblower Protection Act of 2019 passed the house on September 23. 2019
As of September 1, many bills have been passed by the House. Few have been brought to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
To obtain a daily update on legislation that is pending, go to www.govtrack.us and sign up for legislative updates. You can choose to get updates on topics of interest via email. When you open the email and click on a bill title, you get a summary of the bill. If you don’t want daily updates, you can go to the site and click on a section called “Find Legislation that Affects You.” This site uses the congress.gov information provided by the Library of Congress and organizes it for you. When you click on a bill here, the sponsor, the history, and the current status of the bill in the legislative process are given. The site also gives information about the likelihood of the bill becoming a law and includes legislators’ statements in regards to this piece of legislation.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #187, JULY 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
PROPOSED CHANGES IN VOTING LAWS
ALTERNATE REGULATION
MEDICARE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
DITCH MITCH
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CALLING YOUR LEGISLATOR
PROPOSED CHANGES IN VOTING LAWS
The For the People Act of 2019 (S.949) has been introduced in the Senate and has 40 cosponsors. Its purpose is to deal with voting, campaign finance and ethics. The bill would provide for Internet voter registration and would allow persons 16 years of age or older to register to vote in any state in which voting under the age of 18 is allowed.
ALTERNATE REGULATION
A relatively recent scientific advance called CRISPR (pronounced crisper) allows genes to be modified. It has been described as being like using a pair of scissors to modify genes by adding genetic material or deleting genetic material. In November 2018 a Chinese physician used CRISPR technology to alter genes in two human embryos which were fertilized in vitro. This has caused an uproar in the medical/scientific community. Although there would seem to be little objection to using this therapy on adults past child bearing age, using the technique on children or anyone of child bearing age could result in passing on the alteration or some distorted form of it to subsequent generations.
If you recall cloning was first experimented in 1996 using a sheep named Dolly. The reason for this experimentation using an animal was to avoid causing unexpected problems with the procedure. Most animals have a much shorter lifespan than humans. (Dolly lived seven years.) Also the animal could be prevented from procreating thus avoiding long-term unanticipated consequences. Alternatively the animal could be destroyed should the experimental procedure yield potentially dangerous results. If a human showed evidence of major problems as a result of the procedure, what could be done. If there were problems with an experiment involving animals. The animal could be destroyed. This could cause a moral dilemma when applied to humans. If a human evidences major problems, as a result of the procedure, how would one decide what steps to take. Likewise I doubt the person would opt not to have children. Another aspect possibly not considered, can the procedure be reversed? Can it be successful if this is attempted. Some CRISPR gene modification has been studied in mice.
In the recent Chinese experimentation using CRISPR two infants were the subjected to gene therapy. No permission was sought or obtained. The long-term consequences of this procedure can be guessed at, but as with many scientific experiments, there are often unexpected developments. These children will probably live for decades and in all probability they will have children. Presumably use of CRISPR gene modification will be regulated by governments in the future. We see how slow that can be especially with regard to a complex medical scientific procedure. In this case consequences of this action might not be noticed until decades after CRISPR was used. In the meantime the scientific and the medical communities have the means to regulate this experimentation by controlling publication in scientific journals and by refusing the person/team from making presentations at scientific meetings. For more complete information on this subject go to https://www.inkstonenews.com/science/scientist-he-jiankui-defends-gene-editing-babies-leaves-questions-unanswered/article/2175418?gclid=CjwKCAjwm4rqBRBUEiwAwaWjjFLxRXrG0xhyLH_0XcV82-4QtTYyVuLtkEPlAGuZPpkcATZE1CpSdRoC85UQAvD_BwE
MEDICARE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Although the cost of prescription drugs was one of the few things on which the parties agreed, (H.R.991 and S.25, H.R.860) All pf these bills are still in committee and none has not been brought to the floor for a vote in either house. It is estimated that 40% of Americans either didn’t fill prescriptions, skipped doses or cut pills in half in an effort to make the medication last longer. Consider a person I know who cut her daily doses in half to save money. She ended up in the hospital for a week. (What is cheaper, subsidizing the expensive medication or paying for a week in a hospital?)
DITCH MITCH
Although many bills have passed the House of Representatives and many bills have been filed in the Senate, very few bills have been brought to the floor for a vote in the Senate. The reason for this is that Mitch McConnell, the majority leader in the Senate has allowed voting on very few bills. Almost any bill brought up for a vote will pass the Senate. Fairly recently an organized effort has been mounted to defeat McConnell who is up for reelection in 2020. The organization calls itself “Ditch Mitch.”
====================================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #186, JUNE 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
MEDICARE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
RAPE SURVIVOR CUSTODY ACT
SPECIFIC EDUCATION LEGISLATION
ARSENIC IN BOTTLED WATER
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CALLING YOUR LEGISLATOR
MEDICARE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Although the Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act of 2019 has been introduced in both houses (H.R.1046 and S.377) it has not been brought to the floor for a vote in either house. It is estimated that 40% of Americans either didn’t fill prescriptions, skipped doses or cut pills in half in an effort to make the medication last longer.
RAPE SURVIVOR CUSTODY ACT
The Rape Survivor Custody Act is contained in Section 107 of the bill entitled The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 (H.R.1585) which has been passed by the House and is awaiting action in the Senate. This is simply an extension of a law passed in 2016. The origin of that law was a case in Michigan where the father of a child resulting from a rape was granted joint custody of the child. Congress acted on this by passing a law which provided funds to the states for Stop Violence Against Women (STOP) and Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP)
In order to be are eligible to receive these funds a state must have passed a law that allows the mother of a child conceived through rape to seek court-ordered termination of the parental rights of the rapist with regard to that child, and could apply to receive federal government funding.
The following states have passed qualifying statutes and have applied for and received federal funding:
Alaska
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana
Iowa
Maine
Michigan
Missouri
Texas
Wisconsin.
This means that at present a rape victim in the following states
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona Arkansas California Connecticut Delaware
District of Columbia
Idaho
Illinois
Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Minnesota Mississippi Montana Nebraska Nevada
New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York
North Carolina North Dakota Ohio
Oklahoma, Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
Virginia Washington West Virginia Wyoming
has no protection to prevent her rapist from getting custody of the child conceived as a result of the rape.
THE COST OF DEPORTING THE DREAMERS (DACA)
It costs roughly $13,000 to educate a child from K-12. There are estimated to be between 690,000 and 800,000 of the so-called Dreamers (immigrant children brought to the U.S.). This is between $8.97 trillion and $10.4 trillion that U.S. taxpayers have invested in these children. That does not include the cost of a college education which many of these individuals have. It makes no allowance for the various taxes these people will pay during a working lifetime. It would not make sense to give this much money to other countries.
SPECIFIC EDUCATION LEGISLATION
The Computer Science for All Act of 2019 (H.R.1678) would authorize the Secretary of Education to carry out a program to increase computer science education from prekindergarten through grade 12. The Protect Our Universities Act of 2019 (S.969) would create a task force within the Department of Education to protect against foreign governments accessing U.S. government funded research on college campuses.
Note: No summary of bills is given at Congress.gov. In order to determine the content of a bill it is necessary to access the “text” which is laden with legal terminology and may contain many multiple subsections.
ARSENIC IN BOTTLED WATER
Consumer Reports recently published a report that the arsenic concentration in some bottled water exceeds limits set by the Food and Drug Administration. Two brands specifically mentioned were Penafiel (Keurig Dr Pepper brand) and Starkey Water (Whole Foods brand). As of May 2019 the FDA had not issued a recall of Penafiel or Starkey Water. Although water is touted as “natural flowing from the ground” an appreciable quantity of natural water (including well water) may contain unacceptable amounts of arsenic. Even though some bottled water contains under the acceptable amount of arsenic, it has been noted that even drinking bottled water with just under the acceptable limit on a regular basis may lead to accumulating unacceptable levels in the body. https://www.consumerreports.org/water-quality/arsenic-in-some-bottled-water-brands-at-unsafe-levels/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
As Emily Ellsworth suggests in a New York Times article, phone calls from constituents are often more effective than emails because emails are depersonalized and easily ignored with other overwhelming requests for contact.
Do you know who your legislator is? Your national legislators are easily identified if you don’t already know who they are. Go to Congress.gov . In the middle of the right-hand side of the screen is a black box which says “Contact Your Member.” Then select either Representative or Senator. You will receive directions which will enable you to find your senators and representatives.
Consider devoting part of a chapter meeting to legislation. Then have the chapter members contact their delegation offering the action you want taken. We are told that when five or more constituents contact a legislator about s topic, the legislator will pay attention and usually take the suggested action. A good trial run would be to contact a senator about signing on as a cosponsor of S.699. You can see whether your contact
CANDIDATES AND EDUCATION
Four of the presidential candidates have proposed some actions related to education. Cory Booker wants to help educators retire their college debt; while Kamala Harris is proposes giving every teacher a pay raise via a new federal initiative. Amy Klobuchar would like to use an infrastructure initiative to update school physical facilities, and Elizabeth Warren is proposing the creation of a universal child care program. These candidates are actively seeking the endorsement of the large national teacher’s groups.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-202-224-3121. [This is not a toll free number]. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #183, MARCH 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
SMITHSONIAN WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM
Educators TAX Deduction INCREASE
MEDICARE
SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES
NEW HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION
TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS
EDUCATION CUTS IN PROPOSED BUDGET
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
SMITHSONIAN WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM
For twenty years DKG’s U.S. Forum has supported efforts to have a women’s history museum in Washington, DC. It looks closer to becoming a reality with two bills introduced in Congress on March 28 and 29 of this year which would make a Women’s Museum part of the Smithsonian Institution’s complex of museums. Both the Senate bill (S.959) and the House bill (H.R.1980) have been referred to committee. I find it interesting that the House version was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.
Currently the museum exists only online at https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/online-exhibits. The site contains “exhibits.” These exhibits feature women in sports, women in STEM fields, women in history, and women campaigning for the right to vote to mention a few.
In the STEM exhibit we learn that Maria Mitchell was America’s first professional female astronomer. On October 1, 1847, at the age of 29, Maria Mitchell discovered a comet, becoming the first American to do so.
Educators TAX Deduction INCREASE
The Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act (H.R.878) would raise the expense which educators can annually deduct from income tax from $250 to $500, and the amount of the deduction would increase each year after 2019 based on cost of living. This latter point is significant; because, if passed, a new bill and revised law would not have to be considered by each future session of Congress.
MEDICARE
Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act of 2019 (H.R.1046)(S.377) would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate Medicare Part D prescription drug prices. The Stop Price Gouging Act (H.R.1093)(S.378) would levy an excise tax of 50-100% on each prescription drug manufacturer which has drugs which are subject to price spikes. This act provides details for its enforcement.
SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES
The Social Security Expansion Act (H.R.1170)(S.478) would increase Social Security payments by 1% in 2025. There would be annual increases from 2026 through 2038. A new trust fund called the Social Security Trust Fund would be established and would contain the combined assets in the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund. The tax on wages (FICA) would be levied on those earning between $128,700 and $250,000. This additional money would extend the life of Social Security and Medicare.
NEW HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION
A bill (HR1868) introduced last week would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve affordability and reduce premium costs of health insurance for consumers.
TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS
The Preserving Teacher Loan Forgiveness for Military Spouses Act of 2019 (S.532, H.R.1226) would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow an individual to remain eligible to participate in the teacher loan forgiveness program under title IV of the Act when the teacher’s moves because the individual is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces who is relocated during the school year because the individual’s military spouse is transferred. This would be covered by the Defense Dependents’ Education Act of 1978.
EDUCATION CUTS IN PROPOSED BUDGET (alphabetically)
21st Century Community Learning Centers $1.2 billion
Alaska Native Education $36 million
American History & Civics Education $4.8 million
Arts in Education $29 million
Comprehensive Centers $52 million
Comprehensive Literacy Development Grants $190 million
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants $840 million
Full-Service Community Schools $17.5 million
Fund For The Improvement of Postsecondary Education $17.5 million
Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs $360 million
Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need $23 million
Impact & Payments for Federal Property $74.3 million
Innovative Approaches to Literacy $27 million
International Education & Foreign Languages
Studies Domestic Program $85.1 million
International Education & Foreign Languages
Studies Overseas Program $7.1 million
Javits Gifted & Talented Education $12 million
Native Hawaiian Education $36.4 million
Promise Neighborhoods $78.3 million
Ready to Learn Programming $27.7 million
Regional Educational Laboratories $55.4 million
Special Olympics Education Programs $17.6 million*
Statewide Family Engagement Centers $10 million
Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems $32.3 million
Strengthening Institutions $99.9 million
Student Support & Academic Enrichment Grants $1.2 billion
Supported Employment State Grants $22.5 million
Supporting Effective Educator Development $75 million
Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants $2.1 billion
Teacher Quality Partnership $43.1 million
Total $6.7 billion
*Largely due to pressure from the Senate Appropriations subcommittee during its questioning of Secretary DeVos the Special Olympics cut was eliminated.
============================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #182, FEBRUARY 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
PROTECTING THE VOTE
GREEN NEW DEAL
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
Recommended watching
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
PROTECTING THE VOTE
The very first act introduced in this session of Congress is For the People Act of 2019 (H.R.1). With 236 cosponsors it should pass the House in some form. The act sets forth actions which would protect the right to vote. The act has three categories 1) voting, 2) campaign finance and 3) ethics. It has been referred to several committees.
GREEN NEW DEAL
Legislation introduced in early February proposes a "Green New Deal." (H.Res.109 and S.Res.59) Within two weeks of its introduction the bills had 89 cosponsors in the House and 11 cosponsors in the Senate. The legislation apparently meets the approval of Senate Majority Leader McConnell who introduced S.J.Res 8 within a week of the introductions thus tying the two bills together. This joint resolution declares that the government has a duty to create a Green New Deal with the goals of
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
There are currently three bills which relate to reauthorizing the Violence Against Act (VAWA). The Violence Against Women Health Act of 2019 (H.R.973) which deals with domestic violence and dating violence. The other two pieces of legislation are related to the Violence Against Women Act which expired in December 2018. H.R.1239 reauthorizes the Department of Justice programs which combat violence against women, and H.R.1310 would amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to include the rural development voucher program. All three of these bills have been referred to committee, and none has been reported out of committee.
Recommended watching
On the Basis of Sex, a movie about the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG) is being aired Sunday night at 8 p.m. cst on MSNBC. I think you would find it interesting. Not only does it document her life prior to being appointed to the Supreme Court, it shows her trials and tribulations in her early career and how she was helped and encouraged by her husband.
I saw the movie in a theater a couple of weeks ago. It brought back memories of my applying for a credit card. I stated that I was married but did not give my husband's name. The card was issued to X Bedenbaugh.
=================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #181, JANUARY 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT UPDATE
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
NEWLY REPORTED LEAD EXPOSURE CONCERNS
CURRENT SOCIAL SECURITY INFORMATION
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS
There are currently two types of bills related to prescription drugs which have been introduced in this new session of Congress. There are the bills which concern all prescription drugs (S.102, H.R.465) which seek to end monopolies which the government has granted to manufacturers for certain drugs. This allows pharmaceutical companies to charge more for their drugs in the United States than they charge people in other countries. These bills if passed and signed into law would cause drug prices in the United States to be the same as the price of these drugs in other countries.
The other prescription drug bills concern Medicare Part D prescription drugs (S.62, H.R.448). These bills authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate with manufacturers to get fair, reduced prices for drugs covered under Medicare, Part D.
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT UPDATE
As of January 15, 2019 the Virginia Senate ratified the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). It remains for the Virginia House of Representatives to ratify ERA. In the previous Virginia legislative session a majority of the members of the House and the Senate signed on as cosponsors of ERA.
In addition to the action in Virginia, Georgia is actively considering ratification of the amendment. As of January 30, 2019 Georgia legislators have been discussing ERA. In Georgia ratification has support of both a Democratic state senator as well as a Republican state senator. Only one more state needs to ratify ERA in order for it to become part of the Constitution. Once one more state ratifies the amendment, the U.S. Congress will have a decision to make. Congress can either change the deadline for ratification or draft a new amendment. It is possible that whichever action is taken may be taken to court.
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
Senator Dianne Feinstein has again submitted legislation to ban assault weapons titled the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 (S.66). The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee and currently has 28 cosponsors. Getting more cosponsors will make it more likely that this bill will be reported out of committee. [It is presently in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are Lindsey Graham (SC), chair and Dianne Feinstein (CA), ranking member. Other senators on the committee are Marsha Blackburn (TN), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Cory A. Booker (NJ), Christopher A Coons (DE), John Cornyn (TX), Mike Crapo (ID), Ted Cruz (TX), Richard J. Durbin (IL), Joni Ernst (IA), Chuck Grassley (IA), Kamala D. Harris (CA), Josh Hawley (MO), Mazie K. Hirono (HI), John Kennedy (LA), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Patrick J. Leahy (VT), Mike Lee (UT), Ben Sasse (NE), Thom Tillis (NC), and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)] If this issue is of interest to you, I suggest that you contact your U.S. Senator and urge him/her to sign on as a bill cosponsor. You can contact your Senator either by telephone at 202-224-3121 (this is not a toll free number) or by email through http://www.senate.gov/
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
Some bills passed into law have a “sunset” provision. This means that there is essentially an expiration date on the law at which time it would have to be renewed (and possibly revised) or the law would expire. Some examples of this are the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) which was No Child Left Behind (NCLB) during the George W. Bush presidency. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was recently revised and reauthorized with the title Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) during the Obama administration. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Higher Education Act both of which are revised and reauthorized periodically because they have “sunset” provisions meaning they will expire unless revised and enacted into law. Another example of a law with a sunset provision is Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Assault Weapons Ban which was passed in 1994 and allowed to expire in 2004 because it was not revised and/or reenacted.
Another example of a law with a sunset provision is the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) which expired last year. Specific bills in the last session of Congress to reauthorize VAWA were offered (H.R.6545, H.R.6796, H.R.7390 and S.2120) and referred to committee. None of these bills were acted on and reported out of the committee to which they were referred. (I still wonder about the reason why one of the bills was referred to the Foreign Relations Committee.) Very late in the last legislative session VAWA was appended to the bill which would finance the government. As you probably know that bill was passed by both houses, but it was vetoed by the President. As you also probably know the failure of the President to sign this bill resulted in the recent government shutdown and which caused VAWA to expire. Several members of Congress have vowed to introduce new legislation to put VAWA into effect early in the current session of Congress. Presumably the text of a new VAWA already exists which should expedite the matter. Currently H.R. 505 addresses Violence Against Women. It is possible VAWA could part of a bill which Congress thinks will pass and be signed by the President.
NEWLY REPORTED LEAD EXPOSURE CONCERNS
It has recently been reported that there may be lead in dirt, and this lead can be taken up by vegetables and other edible plants causing human lead exposure. The recent reports of lead in school drinking water in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have again put lead in drinking water back in the headlines. These reports will almost certainly lead individuals and/or other entities to test for lead in drinking water in other localities. It is interesting that in one school different concentrations of lead were found in different water fountains in the same school.
Lead test kits are available at Lowe’s ($9.98), Home Depot ($9.97), Walgreens ($9.99 ordered online with free shipping to store), and Ace Hardware stores ($12.99). These test kits can be used to test for lead in drinking water as well as for lead in the soil.
CURRENT SOCIAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Several entities purported to be protecting Social Security and/or Medicare have been formed and become increasingly active. They distribute petitions and surveys which they encourage citizens to fill out, sign and return with varying suggested amounts of money.
These organizations include but are not limited to The Benefit Protection Alliance, Council For Retirement Security, The Greatest Generation, National Council For Survivors, National Seniors Council, National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), The Seniors Center, The Seniors Coalition, and The Senior Security Alliance. Although the National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) has existed for 36 years the others are of much more recent origin. Some purport to be for actions which are totally unrealistic such as increasing Social Security payments to certain groups of seniors.
You may want to sign and return the petitions, but I would suggest that you refrain from donating money to any of them.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-202-224-3121. Another way of contacting your senator is via email available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------==========================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #180, DECEMBER 2018
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HEALTH CARE RULING
NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
AUDUBON PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
2019 OFFICIAL FLAG FLYING DAYS
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
HEALTH CARE RULING
In 2014 the U.S Supreme Court ruled against the provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA also known as Obama Care) that anyone not having purchased health care insurance would have to pay an income tax penalty. This ruling does not take effect until the 2019 tax year and is, therefore, not effective until 2019 tax returns are filed in 2020. Those not having health insurance or covered by ACA will still be subject to a penalty on their 2018 Income Tax Return. On December 14, 2018 a Texas court ruled that if one part of ACS is unconstitutional the entire ACA is unconstitutional, and ,therefore, all of ACA is invalid. The suit was brought by attorneys general from about 15 states. A counter suit by about the same number of state attorneys general argued against this ruling. The whole issue has been appealed and a stay of execution on the Texas ruling has been issued meaning that ACA is still in effect until there is a Supreme Court ruling on the law. It is estimated that it will take about two years for the appeals process through various courts to reach the Supreme Court where it would finally be adjudicated. In the meantime ACA is still law and except for the mandate for all citizens to have health insurance, the rest of ACA is legal and enforceable.
The current session of Congress will have to decide whether to amend ACA or devise a new health care law. Any ACA amendment will be invalid if the Supreme Court decides that the rest of the law is invalid. Thus it is likely that Congress will be faced with the task of formulating new health care legislation.
NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE
The National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act (H.R.7187, S.3828) was due to expire in 2018. On December 21, 2018 it was renewed and signed into law by President Trump. This new law only extends federal flood insurance coverage until May 31, 2019. There is currently debate as to whether the Federal Government should be subsidizing this coverage. The reason for this federal program is that the coverage through private insurance companies is much more expensive. It has recently been argued that rather than subsidizing extensive repairs after a flood, homeowners should be encouraged to relocate from flood prone areas to other areas which are not prone to flooding and this would be more likely if they had to pay more for insurance.
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
Some bills passed into law have a “sunset” provision. This means that there is essentially an expiration date on the law at which time it would have to be renewed (and possibly revised) or the law would expire. Some examples of this are the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (NCLB/ESSA), and the Higher Education Act both of which have been revised and reauthorized. An example of a law affected by the sunset provision is Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Assault Weapons Ban which was passed in 1994 and allowed to expire in 2004.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) expires this year. Specific bills to reauthorize VAWA were offered (H.R.6545, H.R.6796, H.R.7390 and S.2120) and referred to committee. None of these bills were acted on in any committee to which they were referred. (I still wonder about the reason why one of the bills was referred to the Foreign Relations Committee.) Very late in this legislative session VAWA was appended to the bill which would finance the government. As you aware probably aware that bill was passed by both houses, but it was not signed into law. As you also probably know the failure of the President to sign this bill resulted in the current government shutdown and allowed VAWA to expire. Several members of Congress have vowed to introduce new legislation to put VAWA into effect early in the next session of Congress. Presumably the text of a new VAWA already exists which should expedite the matter. Exactly what will happen after that is anyone’s guess.
AUDUBON PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
The entry dates for the Audubon Photography contest are January 7, 2019 through April 8, 2019. Details and entry materials for this contest can be found at www.audubonphotoawards.org.
2019 OFFICIAL FLAG FLYING DAYS
January 1 -- New Year’s Day
January 15 -- Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday
February 12 -- Abraham Lincoln’s birthday
February 14 -- Valentine’s Day
February 18 -- President’s Day
February 22 -- George Washington’s birthday
April 21 -- Easter Sunday
May 4 -- Firefighters Memorial Day (flag at half-staff)
May 12 -- Mother’s Day
May 15 -- Peace Officer’s Day (flag at half-staff sunrise to sunset)
May 18 -- Armed Forces Day
May 27 -- Memorial Day (flag at half-staff until noon)
April 15 -- Patriot’s Day
June 14 -- Flag Day
June 16– Father’s Day
July 4 -- Independence Day
September 2 -- Labor Day
September 11 -- Patriot Day (flag at half-staff sunrise to sunset)
October 14 -- Columbus Day
November 11 -- Veterans Day
November 28 -- Thanksgiving Day
December 7 -- Pearl Harbor Day (flag at half-staff sunrise to sunset)
December 25 -- Christmas Day
**Also election days
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_info
rmation/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #177, September 2018
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
SOCIAL SECURITY AND/OR MEDICARE CHANGES
HOW A FICA ADJUSTMENT CAN HELP
SOCIAL SECURITY PROTECTION AMENDMENT
REBUILD AMERICA’S SCHOOLS ACT
MEDICARE DRUG PRICE NEGOTIATION
INCREASED SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THOSE 82+
SOCIAL SECURITY AND/OR MEDICARE CHANGES
It is estimated that Congress has taken over $3,870,000,000 from the Social Security Trust Fund. When this is increased by the estimated $1.000,000,000 which will be added to the national debt as a result of the recent tax cut legislation, Congress is looking for ways to offset the addition to the National Debt. Obviously something needs to be done about reducing the debt. Congress is looking at a number of possibilities most of which involve Social Security and/or Medicare and/or Medicaid. The reason these programs are being considered is that each involves a large number of individuals. A number of organizations are seeking to address this problem without affecting Social Security or Medicare. The urgency of the situation can be judged by the number of mailings and the number of bills which have been introduced designed to protect Social Security and Medicare. Some of these organizations are The National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), The National Seniors Council, The Senior Citizens Association of America, The Senior Citizens League, The Seniors Trust, The Seniors Coalition, and The Seniors Group for Social Security (SGSS). They are all voicing concern that Congress will try to address the National Debt by changing Social Security and/or Medicare in some way. In addition to decreasing the amount of Social Security paid to individuals, the monthly Medicare premium could be increased. All of these organizations emphasize that these are earned benefits which people have paid for over a number of years.
Editor’s Note: Congress seems to be unaware of the large number of retirees who lost their company pensions during the financial crisis in 2008. These retirees who thought they would have both a pension and Social Security income are now wholly dependent on Social Security income.
HOW A FICA ADJUSTMENT CAN HELP
Currently, high income earners have some portion of their earnings exempt from the Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) tax. That is those earning less than $128,200 have the tax deducted from their paycheck. Those earning more than $128,200 pay no tax on ant wages over that amount. This money is supposed to go into the Social Security Trust Fund; however, Congress has given IOUs to the Social Security Trust Fund which have not been paid back.
SOCIAL SECURITY PROTECTION AMENDMENT
The Seniors Group for Social Security is proposing an amendment to the Constitution which they are labeling the Social Security Protection Amendment.
REBUILD AMERICA’S SCHOOLS ACT OF 2017
Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2017 (H.R.2475) was submitted to the House on May 17, 2017. It has been referred to theCommittee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Budget Committee none of which have taken any action. It currently has 116 cosponsors. The fact that it was covered in the September 16, 2018 issue of Education Week would seem to indicate that Congress might begin to act on it shortly. Obviously the teacher strikes earlier this year are having some effect on Congress.
MEDICARE DRUG PRICE NEGOTIATION
There are two pending bills in Congress which could financially help retirees. The Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2017 (H.R.242, S.41) would empower the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate better drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Passage of either of these bills into law would not impact the national debt. Current law prohibits CMS from any negotiation of prices with drug companies. Call your members of Congress and urge them to cosponsor and work towards passage of this legislation. You can do this by calling 1-866-327-8670 and asking for your Representative or Senator by name.
Representatives who have already signed on as cosponsors of this bill are Peter Welch (VT), Earl Blumenauer (OR), Matt Cartwright (PA), Kathy Castor (FL), Steve Cohen (TN), David Cicilline (RI), Elijah Cummings (MD), Peter DeFazio (OR), Rosa DeLauro (CT), Theodore Deutch (FL), Michael Doyle (PA), Keith Ellison (MN), Tulsi Gabbard (HI), Ruben Gallego (AZ), John Garamendi (CA), Raul Grijalva (AZ), Jared Huffman (CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX), Marcy Kaptur (OH), Ro Khanna (CA), James Langevin (RI), Daniel Lipinski (IL), David Loebsack (IA), Zoe Lofgren (CA), Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM), Ben Ray Lujan (NM), Stephen Lynch (MA), Sean Patrick Maloney (NY), Betty McCollum (MN), Donald Payne (NJ), Chellie Pingree (ME), Mark Pocan (WI), Jamie Raskin (MD), Francis Rooney (FL), Raul Ruiz (CA), Bobby Rush (IL), Tim Ryan (OH), John Sarbanes (MD), Janice Schakowsky (IL), Brad Sherman (CA), Louise McIntosh Slaughter (NY), Thomas Suozzi (NY), Mark Takano (CA), Peter Visclosky (IN) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL).
Senators who have already signed on as cosponsors of this bill are Amy Klobuchar (MN), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Cory Booker (NJ), Sherrod Brown (OH), Maria Cantwell (WA), Kamala Harris (CA), Tim Kaine (VA), Angus King (ME), Patrick Leahy (VT), Christopher Murphy (CT), and Jeanne Shaheen (NH).
INCREASED SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THOSE 82+
The Elder Poverty Relief Act (S.2653) also called “The Greatest Generation Benefits Act was introduced in April of this year. This bill calls for monthly increases of $85 and a four percent annual increase for those over 82 years old. Sponsored by the Greatest Generation organization, the group is in the process of gathering information on the number of citizens who would benefit from this provision by sending out surveys. With the attitude of many members of Congress ‘and the known budgetary problems, I see little chance of this passing.
============================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #175, July 2018
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
LATEST RULING ON 3D GUN PRINTING
COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR ALL ACT
STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
2016-18 U.S. FORUM COMMITTEE ELECTED
LATEST RULING ON 3D GUN PRINTING
With the advent of 3D printing in 2015, a whole range of possibilities became options. The 3D printer requires plastic to produce the 3D item. It has been used to make a prosthetic hand for someone who had lost a hand. On July 28, 2018 a Texas judge ruled that a company (Defense Distributed) had the right to make plans for plastic guns available on the Internet starting Wednesday, August 1. On July 31 three courts barred the posting on the Internet of the instructions for the plastic guns. This would include plans for AR-15 and AK-47 guns. The ruling would allow a person with a 3D printer to produce a working firearm. Because the guns can be made at home or at some place outside a manufacturing facility without regulation this ruling would allow people to obtain guns without any registration or background checks. Additionally the metal detectors now in use could not necessarily detect these firearms. Since the guns shoot regular metal bullets, it might be possible to have metal detectors programmed to detect smaller pieces of metal.
COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR ALL ACT
Computer Science for All Act of 2017 (H.R.2590) would set up grants to develop programs that could be replicated throughout the country. The bill is currently stalled in the House Education Committee.
STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
On July 26 the Strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the 21st Century Act (H.R.2353) was sent to the President to be signed into law. This piece of legislation provides for grants to make CTE creates “CTE concentrators” and “CTE participants” and defines these terms. The bill also authorizes that funds to states for 2018-20 shall not be less than what was allocated in 1998. The bill is reauthorized through 2023. For more specific information on the content of this bill go to https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2353?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.2353%22%5D%7D&r=1
2018-20 U.S. FORUM COMMITTEE ELECTED
The new U.S. Forum Committee elected at the International Convention in Austin on July 20 consists of Chair Kathy Davis from Oklahoma., Northeast Regional Representative Barbara Bostwick-Quinn from New York, Northwest Regional Representative Sally Nyhus from Minnesota, Southeast Regional Representative Karen Walton from South Carolina, and Southwest Regional Representative Daphne Cagle from California
====================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #173, MAY 2018
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
FOOD STAMPS ON THE CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR
COST OF BEING FEMALE
SOCIAL SECURITY 2100 ACT
HIGHER EDUCATION RIPOFF
ILLINOIS RATIFIES THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
SPECIAL ED RULING
FREE SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
FOOD STAMPS ON THE CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR
One section of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R.2) would “expand the work requirements and modify the eligibility rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program)” After thirteen votes the bill was recently voted down in the House. However, the bill is not dead and will almost certainly be amended before further votes are taken. To see how your representative voted on the most recent roll call vote go to http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2018/roll205.xml
COST OF BEING FEMALE
It has been shown that, on average, women are paid less than men for comparable jobs. But there is another way in which women find it necessary to pay more in taxes than men do. Have you considered how much a woman spends on menstrual supplies during her lifetime? It is estimated that women spend about $120 a year in tax on various menstrual supplies or $4,500 on taxes during a lifetime. Obviously men do not have a similar recurring expense due to their normal physical functions. At present four states have exempted menstrual supplies from sales tax otherwise referred to as the Tampon Tax. It is interesting that a number of states exempt Viagra from sales tax. For more information on this topic go to https://www.npr.org/2018/03/25/564580736/more-states-move-to-end-tampon-tax-that-s-seen-as-discriminating-against-women
Some states are also considering making diapers tax exempt.
SOCIAL SECURITY 2100 ACT
The Social Security 2100 Act (H.R.1902) would not only strengthen Social Security benefits, but it would strengthen the Social Security Trust Fund. This bill was sponsored by 173 of the 435 representatives in this session of Congress. Although all the representatives who cosponsored the bill are Democrats, the fact that the text of the bill exists means that with a change in the composition of the House, the bill should have a good chance of being brought to the floor for a vote. At that time some Republicans would almost certainly either cosponsor and/or vote for the bill. Once a piece of legislation exists, it is easily and often filed again early in a subsequent session of Congress.
HIGHER EDUCATION RIPOFF
It has been found that a number of for profit institutions allow students to pile up student loans for courses which are not useful. One way to determine if an institution fits this category is to check with a state institution of higher learning and find out if the courses are transferable.
ILLINOIS RATIFIES THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
Illinois passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) on Wednesday, May 30, 2018. With this ratification only one more state would be needed to meet the 38 state requirement for enacting ERA. The thirteen states which have not ratified ERA are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. Even if one more state ratifies ERA, the U.S. Congress would have to pass legislation to totally complete ERA being added to the Constitution; because 1979 was the deadline for the required number of states to ratify ERA. See the March Issue of the U.S. Forum Connection for a more complete explanation of the options available to Congress.
SPECIAL ED RULING
The parents of an autistic child sued their local school district for not providing instruction to “enable the child to make progress appropriate in light of child’s circumstances.” The case Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District went all the way to the Supreme Court which unanimously found it to have merit. The Supreme Court sent the case back to a lower court which had previously ruled against it. Although the lower court then ruled in favor of Endrew, a number of other similar cases brought before the courts have been ruled in favor of the school district.
FREE SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
A number of free simple science activities can be found at https://www.thepocketlab.com/support/
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
===============================================================================================
APRIL IS SEXUAL AWARENESS MONTH
Just as pink has been associated with breast cancer awareness and is observed in February, April has recently been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and is associated with the color teal. The advent of the “Me Too” movement has motivated women to speak out and become more active in politics. It is estimated that the number of women running for public office has exploded in the last couple of years. A survey of hundreds of women in the entertainment industry reported in USA Today found that 94% of the women in entertainment surveyed reported some form of sexual harassment or sexual assault.
====================================================================================================
US FORUM CONNECTION #171, MARCH 2018
IN THIS ISSUE
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT AGAIN IN THE NEWS
LAWS AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS
GUN DISCUSSION
APRIL IS SEXUAL AWARENESS MONTH -message at the heading of this page.
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
In this session of Congress the Paycheck Fairness Act (S.819, H.R.1869) has been filed in both houses of Congress. It would put in place methods for determining whether an employer is granting equal pay for equal work based on sex, race or other demographics. Both bills have been sent to committee and, as of now, they have not been acted on further. Despite the fact that currently 48 states have laws against pay discrimination based on an employee’s sex, Congress has not passed a law mandating equal pay. The two states which have not passed laws banning pay discrimination are Alabama and Mississippi.
Another piece of legislation which is related to pay is The Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act (H.R.4827) which has 100 cosponsors. This legislation would pay federal workers for days missed due to a government shutdown. This bill also has been referred to committee and not yet reported out; however, it could be reported out of committee swiftly and acted on. It is presumably being held until the end of the session. In the event of further shut downs during this legislative session the bill would cover all government shut downs.
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT AGAIN IN THE NEWS
Nevada recently passed the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Only two more states would be needed to gain the 38 states (¾ of states) necessary to ratify the amendment for it to take effect. However, the deadline for states to ratify the amendment was 1979. There are currently two separate legislative actions which would affect the amendment. One strategy to handle the Equal Rights Amendment is by joint resolutions (S.J.Res.5 and H.J.Res.53) in both houses which would remove the deadline for states to ratify the amendment in which case only two more states would be needed to ratify the amendment. The other strategy by which the Equal Rights Amendment is being addressed is by a restatement of the amendment as though it were a new Constitutional Amendment which would require ratification by three fourths of the states (S.J.Res.6 and H.J.Res.33).
It should be noted is that once a state has ratified an amendment to the Constitution that amendment vote cannot be rescinded. However, if this second option is successfully pursued by Congress, this could be considered as a different amendment requiring ratification by even those states which ratified the previous amendment. This might be a case for the Supreme Court. The states which have not yet ratified the Equal Rights Amendment are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. The Illinois legislature is considering the Equal Rights Amendment as originally stated with SJRCA4. in Illinois’ current legislative session. Assuming Illinois ratifies the amendment, only one more state would be needed to ratify the original ERA for it to take effect.
The Equal Rights Amendment statesSection 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
(This information taken from the web site http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/ ) Other web sites on the topic have similar or identical wording.
LAWS AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Laws are passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President and are enforceable until Congress passes legislation which supersedes them. An exception to this is a law which is passed which has a time limit. The most familiar example of a law with a time limit is the Elementary, and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) which is a part of legislation which requires periodic reauthorization. During George W. Bush’s administration the renewal of this legislation was referred to as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). During the Obama administration the next version of this was the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This later version of ESEA is causing some problems now because there was a change of administrations before the law was fully implemented, and the new Secretary of Education interpreted the law differently than her predecessor.
Another category of regulation is an executive order. This is issued by the President and requires no approval by any other body. An example of this is Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) which President Obama issued in June 2012 and which would prevent noncitizens who were brought to this country as children from being deported. (These people are also referred to as “Dreamers.”) Shortly after he took office, President Trump used an executive order to rescind DACA. This would allow deportation of the Dreamers. (Note: The Dreamers who signed up under the original Obama executive order had to give personal information such as address and relatives. Since the relatives of many of the Dreamers are illegals, this could result in the rest of their families being deported also.) The executive order could be nullified if Congress passed legislation dealing with the problem, and the President signed this legislation. Alternately President Trump could sign another executive order to exempt the Dreamers from deportation. So far Congress has not passed any legislation which would rescind the executive order.
GUN DISCUSSION
One of the first pieces of legislation which was passed after President Trump took office is Public Law No: 115-8 (02/28/2017). The history of this piece of legislation is that it was introduced in the House of Representatives on January 30, 2017 becoming H.J.Res.40 which nullifies a current law prohibiting sale of a firearm to a person who has been adjudicated as mentally defective thus it would allow the purchase and possession of firearms by a person who is deemed mentally defective. The bill passed the House on February 1, 2017, passed the Senate on February 3, 2017, was sent to President Trump on February 6 and was signed into law on February 14, 2017. To see how your Representative voted go to http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2017/roll072.xml. The vote in the Senate was strictly along party lines with all Republicans voting “yea” and all Democrats and the two Independents voting “nay.” There was one abstention. Thus a person adjudicated to be mentally defective can buy firearms.
President Trump recently signed an executive order which directed the Justice Department to add bump stocks to the list of banned devices which cause guns to mimic the action of machine guns.
In the April 2, 2018 issue of Time magazine some proposed actions which would help ameliorate the gun violence problem were offered. The first one was to make gun ownership similar to a driver’s license requiring both a written test and a demonstration of proficiency [presumably following some instruction in the use of a firearm].
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #169, JANUARY 2018
IN THIS ISSUE
NLS DEADLINE APPROACHES
CAREGIVERS ACT
CHIP FUNDING
TITLE IX
NEW PUBLICATION “SHE PERSISTED”
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
NLS DEADLINE APPROACHES
The deadline for submitting a regular registration form to attend the National Legislative Seminar without a late fee is February 10, 2018. The registration form can be found at http://www.usforumdkg.org/uploads/4/4/6/6/44667559/nls_registration_2018_updated2.pdf. The main issues which will be addressed at the seminar are advocacy, violence against women, women’s health care, youth suicide awareness and prevention as well as human trafficking.
CAREGIVERS ACTS
The RAISE Family Caregivers Act (H.R.3759, S.1028) which was introduced in both houses last year was signed by the President on January 22, 2018 after which it became Public Law No. 115-119. This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and make publicly available a National Family Caregiving Strategy that identifies recommended actions for recognizing and supporting family caregivers in a manner that reflects their diverse needs. Also HHS is to convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise the department on recognizing and supporting family caregivers. The council terminates after three years. There are several other bills dealing with caregiving for categories such as those with military injuries and Alzheimers patients. The Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2017 (S.1255) would give tax credit to caregivers to offset remuneration lost from job changes and other expenses incurred as result of caregiving in order to provide care to individuals handicapped either by illness such as Altheimers or severe injury. This bill has been referred to committee in the Senate. The Public Law 115-119 is a step in the right direction, but it does not provide any financial relief for caregivers.
CHIP FUNDING
Recently Congress seems to be close to an agreement which would extend the CHIP program for five or six years. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is designed to fill the gap between low income groups that qualify for Medicaid and more affluent families who can afford health insurance. It is estimated that about 9 million children get health coverage under this program. Funding for this program is now being discussed in Congress which should soon reach agreement on a bill to be sent to the President for his signature. The current funding is due to expire March 31, but many states will run out of funds prior to that date or have already run out of money.
TITLE IX
The recent revelations about the sexual harassment involving the women’s gymnastics team at Michigan State University as well as the National Gymnastics team which represented the USA at the Olympics should be a wake-up call for all of us. Although the women and girls had complained for several years to parents and school administrators about what was happening to them, no action was taken. The legislation which should have protected these females is Title IX. As of January 31, 265 females have lodged complaints against Larry Nassar. Complaints have officially been lodged against Nassar and dismissed since 2004. This case illustrates why complaints by girls and young women should be taken seriously and investigated. It has been estimated that only about 20% of sexual assaults are reported.
In the past colleges and universities have been loath to tackle sexual assault on their campuses; because they feared the bad publicity would affect their enrollment. What has happened at Michigan State University will almost certainly lead to the uncovering of similar situations at other institutions of higher learning. Recently the Texas Attorney General has opened an investigation into what has been going on at the International Gymnastics Camp in Texas. Representative Susan Brooks and Senator Dianne Feinstein are currently working on legislation to address these abuses.
NEW PUBLICATION “SHE PERSISTED”
There is a new publication from Newsweek which is listed on Amazon as a book. It deals with women groundbreakers from Deborah Sampson (1782), Sacagawea (1804), Elizabeth Bennett (1813) and Harriet Tubman (1849) to Senator Larissa Waters, Yoshiko Shinohara and Senator Elizabeth Warren (2017) and includes Saudi Arabia allowing women to drive (2017). She Persisted also looks at movements such as the Women’s March, “Me Too” and “The Resistance.”
****************************************************************************************************
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #164, SEPTEMER 2017
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP) EXPIRES
PRESCRIPTION DRUG LEGISLATION
INTELLIGENT TUTORS
RECOMMENDED IMMUNIZATIONS
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP) EXPIRES
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expired September 30. It provided health care for 9,000,000 children and was not renewed by Congress.
ACTION: Call your congressional delegation and ask them to renew the CHIP program. Contact your senator and representative by phone at 1-866-327-8670 or by email through congress.gov.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG LEGISLATION
Several bills all of which originated in the Senate have been introduced and referred to committee. These are
The Improving Access To Affordable Prescription Drugs Act (S.771)
The Prescription Drug and Health Improvement Act of 2017 (S.348)
The Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2017 (S.41)
The Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act (S.469)
The Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2017 (S.1688), and
The Making Pharmaceutical Markets More Competitive Act (S.1115).
Among other things, these bills
1) provide for negotiating prices of Medicare prescription drugs,
2) encourage importing affordable, safe drugs,
3) create a prize fund to encourage the development of new drugs which are effective against bacterial infections, I(Editor’s note. An increasing number of infections are becoming unresponsive to current antibacterial drugs.)
4) provide public funding for clinical trials,
5) reward innovative new drug development
The responsibility for enforcement of these objectives would be given to the Secretary of Health and Human Services who is to report to Congress every six months beginning no later than three years after the enactment these bills into law.
None of these bills currently has a summary version listed on line at congress.gov. You can view the complete bills at congress.gov.
(Editor’s note: Importation of drugs would bring down the price of drugs manufactured in the United States via competition.)
INTELLIGENT TUTORS
Traditional computer learning programs have a fixed set of questions and answers usually in a linear progression. A new generation of computer programs based on concept mapping and other education tools, encourage student mental organization that can be used to enhance the learner’s thinking skills. These computer systems are now coming onto the market. Each of these systems provide an array of answers which are developed and displayed depending on the student’s level of learning as assessed by the program. It is emphasized that these systems are not intended to replace teachers but rather to enable students to successfully handle problems not previously encountered. Currently there are several intelligent computer systems available. These are ALEKS (for Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces), Cognitive Tutor, and IBM’s Watson initiative which is still in the development stage. More information about these and other computer-based learning systems can be found atwww.edweek.org/go/futurework-tutor.
RECOMMENDED IMMUNIZATIONS
The following immunizations are recommended for those over 50. Shingles,
hepatitis B, pneumonia, Tdap, and flu. The flu virus seems to be making the rounds earlier than normal this year.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
The National Legislative Seminar will be held in Washington, DC March 18-21, 2018. The registration form can be found at nls_registration_2018_updated.pdf.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #164, AUGUST 2017
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM FOUNDATION FUNDING
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
PROPOSED EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FUNDING CUTS
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
FREE RESOURCES
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM FOUNDATION FUNDING
The Public Broadcasting System Foundation (PBSF) which is funded in large part by the federal government has systematically had its funding cut over the years. There is currently a move to totally eliminate federal funding for PBSF and privatize the system. You may have noticed that your local PBS stations have been spending more and more time on fund raising activities and some popular programs have been eliminated due to funding cuts over the years. PBS provides some of the most educational preschool programs of any system. Additionally many programs are used in classroom instruction. You may want to contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives to inform them of your use of PBS programs for classroom instruction and urge them to continue federal funding of PBS programs. You can contact your legislators either through the 1-866-327-8670 toll free switchboard or by email clicking on “members” at the top of the initial screen at Congress.gov. You might want to mention specific programs which you use in classroom instruction.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
The Prescription Drug Monitoring Act of 2017 (S.778) requires any state receiving grant funds as part of the controlled substance prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) to share its data with other states. Any state which does not comply and share its data may have its funds withheld by either the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Additionally the Department of Justice is charged with maintaining an easily accessible information database.
PROPOSED EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CHANGES
The new Secretary of Education is proposing a 9.2% ($13.5 billion) cut for the Department of Education. This would eliminate $2 billion for teacher training and Title II and $1.1 billion for after school and enrichment programs. She is advocating for a 50% increase for federally funded charter schools. 1) This would reduce enforcement of antidiscrimination laws. 2) If schools are not federally funded they are not subject to Title IX rules. [Title IX is effective because it withholds federal funding from institutions which are not in compliance.] 3) Because special needs students are more expensive to educate due to the smaller class size and additional expense needed for them, nonpublic schools are not inclined to admit these students which increase the per student cost leaving them in the public education system with no increase in the per student funding. 4) Another downside of charter schools is that they allow more unlicensed teachers in the classroom along with reduced oversight by state agencies. 5) Finally, if large numbers of teachers leave the state-funded system, state retirement programs will be negatively impacted as fewer teachers pay into the state retirement system.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
The National Legislative Seminar will be held in Washington, DC March 18-21, 2018. The registration form can be found at nls_registration_2018_updated.pdf.
FREE RESOURCES
There are a number of free resources designed to help teachers cope with a variety of education topics. Lessons about Labor Day can be found at http://www.labor-studies.org/featured-resources/labor-history-lesson-plans.
Blue Apprentice Elementary Science game is aimed at students in grades 1-6. It can be accessed at https://goo.gl/xBFywP
Teaching Tolerance offers some free classroom materials and website access along with an accompanying free webinar. Links can be found at http://www.tolerance.org/.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-866-327-8670[this is a toll free number]. You can email your senator or representative via a link at Congress.gov. Another way of contacting your senator is by using a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #163, JULY 2017
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION STATUS
AFFORDABLE MEDICINES ACT
SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION ACT
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
FREE SOLAR ECLIPSE RESOURCE
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION STATUS
The most recent version of the health care bill failed in the Senate. For a bill to be sent to the President for his signature, an identical version must be agreed upon by both the House and the Senate. The strategy with the final Senate health care bill was to pass something which would be sent to a joint House/Senate conference committee. This committee would make changes in both the House and Senate bills that could then be taken back to the House and the Senate for an approval vote. Some senators, feared that the stripped down bill, would be voted on and approved by the House without being sent to a conference committee. This possibility was avoided when the Senate did not pass the bill.
AFFORDABLE MEDICINES ACT
The Improving Access To Affordable Prescription Drugs Act (S.771/H.R.1776) has a number of cosponsors in both houses. The bills would allow the Secretary of Human Services to negotiate prescription drug prices for Medicare. The bills would also allow the Secretary of Human Services to regulate importation of prescription drugs manufactured outside the U.S. Additionally, the bills establish a prize fund to encourage development of prescription drugs which would be overseen by the National Institutes of Health. More complete information about this legislation can be found at
https://www.citizen.org/sites/default/files/improving-access-to-affordable-prescription-drugs-act-summary-short.pdf
SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION ACT
The social security Expansion Act (S.427/HR1114) would phase out the earnings FICA tax cap on the wages of people making more than $127,200 a year. It is estimated that this would substantially extend the life of the Social Security Trust Fund, and it would also increase the average Social Security benefit by about $780 per year ($65 per month). Some of the organizations supporting this legislation are the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, The Alliance for Retired Americans and The Seniors Trust.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
The National Legislative Seminar will be held in Washington, DC March 18-21, 2018. The registration form can be found at nls_registration_2018_updated.pdf
FREE SOLAR ECLIPSE RESOURCE
Big Kid Science has an educational app which tells when, where and what you’ll see on Monday, August 21 when the solar eclipse occurs. The site explains what can be seen/experienced. Because the eclipse will occur during daylight hours and at a time when most schools are in session this should be a unique, free experience for students
=====================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #161, MAY 2017
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HEALTH CARE UNDER CONSIDERATION
NET NEUTRALITY
HOW WOMEN PREVAIL
DKG GIRL SCOUT PATCH
REGIONAL CONFERENCE FORUM SESSIONS
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
HEALTH CARE UNDER CONSIDERATION
In this session of Congress major changes in the law regulating health care costs are being considered. A proposed health care law has passed the House of Representatives (H.R.1628) and is currently being considered in the Senate. The Senate is writing a separate version of the law. Because a number of topics in either bill directly affect only women, it is disturbing that all thirteen members of the Senate Committee are male, and Senator Susan Collins who has had extensive experience with health care legislation in the past was not named to the committee. Some of the medical conditions which have been mentioned as possibly being considered to be preexisting conditions include maternity and C-sections neither of which would affect males. You can view the bill at https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1628 and find out how your representative voted on it at http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2017/roll256.xml (Note: Representative Newhouse did not vote.)
NET NEUTRALITY
As the Internet was being developed, the Internet providers gave some preferred customers (mainly businesses) faster downloads. A few years ago the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began enforcing “net neutrality.” This basically means that all Internet providers must provide the same download speeds to all subscribers. Recently this has been the subject of debate at the FCC, and that agency is considering abandoning enforcement of net neutrality. The consequence of this is that some Internet users may experience slower Internet downloads. As a result of this proposed change in policy a group of Internet providers has taken out an ad in the Washington Post opposing this change. The companies which sponsored the ad are Altice USA, Armstong, BOYCOM, Buckeye Broadband, Cable ONE, Charter Communications, Comcast Corporation, Cox Communications, Eagle Communications, GCI, MCTV, Mediacom Communications, MetroCast Comunications, Midco, RCN Grande, Service Electric Cablevision, Shentel, Sjoberg’s Inc., TDS, Vast Broadband, and Vyve Broadband.
HOW WOMEN PREVAIL
With the world championship in women’s hockey scheduled for the end of March, the women on the team asked for an increase in salary as well as being provided equipment. There was a huge differential between the salaries of the male and female hockey players. The women also threatened to boycott the World Championship games. USA Hockey, the governing body of hockey, decided to replace the entire team with female college hockey players even though this would result in the strong possibility of losing the World Championship and deny the women who had won the right to play in the championship game the right to defend their title. The professional players undertook telephone calls to about 500 female college players urging them not to serve as replacements for the professional team. The college players did not take the offer to act as replacements, and the women won a pay increase, business class airfare, disability insurance and money to support youth leagues. The youth leagues would train the next generation of women hockey players. The U.S. Women’s National Team went on to win its fourth consecutive International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship. This was the team’s seventh win in eight years.
DKG GIRL SCOUT PATCH
Information on the Girl Scout patch is available at https://www.girlscouts.org. Nita Scott at DKG Headquarters in Austin is knowledgeable about this. Her number is 888-762-4685 extension 113.
REGIONAL CONFERENCE FORUM SESSIONS
Northwest Region, Spearfish, North Dakota, 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM on June 29, 2017
Southwest Region, Honolulu, Hawaii, 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM on July 5, 2017
Northeast Region, Windsor, Ontario, 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM on July 13, 2017
Southeast Region, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 10 AM - noon on July 21, 2017
=============================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #157, JANUARY 2017
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
SUPREME COURT & AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
Currently the main order of business in the Senate is approving the President’s cabinet appointments. The Constitution states that certain appointments are to be made with the advice and consent of the Senate. The two main cabinet appointments which have not yet been approved by the Senate are the Secretary of Education and the Attorney General. If you wish to let your senator know your opinion of those nominated for either of these positions you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. The call volume is currently so high that you may not be able to get through using the toll free number. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
SUPREME COURT & AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
When sixth grader Ehlena Fry who suffers from cerebral palsy entered kindergarten in 2009, the school district (Napoleon Community Schools) denied her the ability to bring her service dog into the school. The district ruled that an adult could perform the tasks with which the dog helped her. The dog which was trained to open doors and pick up items, among other things, was designed to give her a measure of independence so she would not have to rely on others to help. The family is seeking monetary damages from the school rather than pursuing a lengthy administrative remedy process. Although the school eventually allowed her to bring the dog to school after two and a half years, they placed so many restrictions on the dog that Ehlena’s parents decided to homeschool her. The family later located a school which allowed her to have the dog at the school. At issue is whether the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which would allow the dog to accompany her to school or whether the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which would allow the family to sue the school would take precedence. A ruling on the matter is expected later this year.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
A generic version of the EpiPen has recently become available. Since this is the delivery system rather than the drug, this gets around patent protection.
===================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #155, NOVEMBER 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
EXTENDING SOCIAL SECURITY
EXPANDING SOCIAL SECURITY
ADJUSTING 2016 SOCIAL SECURITY
MEDICARE DEADLINE
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
There are several bills in the current session of Congress which address Social Security. Information on these is given below. We urge you to contact your Senator and Representative and urge him/her to support these bills. At least urge support for the first-mentioned bill (H.R.1391) To contact these legislators, either call the Congressional Switchboard toll free at 1-866-327-8670or go to Congress.gov, click on “members” at the top opf the screen. Then under “How to Contact Your Member” click on either “Senators” or “Representatives” and select the one who represents you. These provide a means of contacting the person by email. State that you hope he/she will vote for bill #___.
EXTENDING SOCIAL SECURITY
The most wide sweeping of these bills are H.R.2078 and H.R.1391 which would repeal the cap on taxes on employment and self-employment compensation. Currently those making in excess of $118,500 pay no taxes on remuneration over that limit. Removing the cap would extend Social Security for many more years. H.R.1391 would gradually increase Social Security benefits about 2% which would increase retirement income about $300 per retiree, it would raise the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) using actual cost-of-living expenses (this year there was no COLA even though the cost of living increased slightly), and it would cut taxes for working seniors (those whose retirement income is inadequate to meet actual expenses). [Note: Some school systems, retirement funds and pensions were adversely affected and pensions were reduced as a because of the recession. This resulted in some retirees not getting the retirement income they were expecting, and they were forced to seek supplemental employment after retirement to cover their living expenses.] Removing the cap on Social Security taxes would increase money in the Social Security Trust Fund due to larger amounts paid in by the extremely wealthy.
EXPANDING SOCIAL SECURITY
Another bill which would impact retirees is S.731 the Social Security Expansion Act. This bill amends Title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to: (1) increase the primary insurance amount for all eligible beneficiaries, beginning in 2021, (2) use the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to calculate the Cost Of Living; (3) increase the special minimum primary insurance amount for lifetime low earners based on years worked.
ADJUSTING 2016 SOCIAL SECURITY
Because there was no cost of living increase in Social Security in 2016 a Senate bill (S.2251) would provide a one-time payment of $581. This would apply to those receiving Social Security for that year only.
MEDICARE DEADLINE
The deadline for selecting a Medicare plan is December 7. A retiree can get help in selecting a plan by going to Medicare.gov. It would be wise to check other sources for Part D plans such as SilverScriptonline.com or www.MedicareSolutions.com. Once you have a Part D plan check the information book to find which pharmacies give better discounts.
====================================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #154, OCTOBER 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HOW THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WORKS
HOW THIRD PARTIES CAN EFFECT AN ELECTION
NEW STROKE INDICATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
HOW THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WORKS
Elections in the USA are not determined by the popular vote or only indirectly. Each state is assigned a certain number of electors based on the number of U.S. Senators plus the number of U.S. Representatives that the state has. The 23rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives the District of Columbia three electors. Except for Maine and Nebraska, all electors from each state cast their vote for the candidate who got the majority of the popular votes cast in that state. Maine has three electors and allows one of the three to vote for a different candidate. Nebraska is allowed to split its electoral votes. There are currently 538 electors. After the popular vote is cast, the electors from each state cast their votes. In order to win a candidate must get a majority of the electoral votes or 270 electoral votes (538/2 + 1).
If a third party candidate receives enough popular votes to earn electoral votes and the election is very close, so that the results of the votes of the electors do not give either of the two major party candidates 270 votes in the electoral college, then the members of the U.S. House of Representatives vote with each state delegation having only one vote. Regardless of how many Representatives a state has the entire delegation can only cast one vote. The candidate who gets the majority of votes in the House is elected President. If no candidate gets a majority of votes in the House, the Senate votes with each senator having one vote and the candidate with a majority of the votes in the Senate becomes President.
HOW THIRD PARTIES CAN EFFECT AN ELECTION
The election of 2000 is an example of the effect a third party candidate can have on the final outcome of an election. That election was decided in the state of Florida where Ralph Nader the third party candidate received 97,484 votes and there was a virtual tie in the popular vote between Gore and Bush. In that election Al Gore received a majority of the national popular vote; however, George Bush was elected President based on the Florida vote. In Florida only 537 votes separated Bush and Gore. Because it was conjectured that Nader’s votes were largely from voters who would have voted for Gore if Nader had not been in the race, his presence on the ballot was felt to have affected the final outcome of the election. The election was finally decided via a Supreme Court ruling about how the ballots were validated due to ballots which had “hanging chads.” Some of the punch out type ballots did not completely sever the link between the ballot and the punched out piece (chad) indicating a vote. After the election some areas of Florida changed from the punch-type ballots to electronic touchscreen voting for future elections.
NEW STROKE INDICATOR
In the past there have been three recognized indicators to determine if a person is having a stroke. Recently a fourth indicator has been found. It is the tongue. When the person having a stroke sticks out his/her tongue, the tongue will go to the side rather than straight out.
Recognizing the early sign of a stroke is very important. Neurologists say that when the stroke is diagnosed within three hours, the effects of the stroke can be totally reversed. The three traditional signs of a stroke utilize the letters STR. S is for smile, T is for talk (repeat a simple sentence) and R is raise both arms. If the individual is unable to perform any of these tasks, he/she is likely having a stroke and needs to get to a doctor and the emergency room as soon as possible. Remember the first three hours are critical in minimizing the long term effects of a stroke.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #152, AUGUST 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE:
1) CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE LAW
2) MAKE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE
3) THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
1) CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE LAW
In Louisiana a lawsuit has been filed by the Louisiana Association of Educators over public funds being diverted to charter schools. In Washington state the state supreme court ruled that the state’s charter schools were not entitled to state funds and the state’s charter school law was unconstitutional as a result of a suit brought by the League of Women Voters. In Mississippi the Southern Poverty Law Center brought suit about the funding of charter schools which diverts tax dollars from public schools to charter schools. Current Mississippi law provides that local tax revenue can be diverted from funds designated for public schools to support local charter schools. In New York several lawsuits pertaining to charter schools are currently being litigated. These range from attempts to gain funding to a suit about denial of mandated services for special education students. In Texas charter schools are not governed by state law as to minimum salaries, class size, or enrollment but are still subject to state accountability requirements. In Texas the lawsuits seek to gain local funding for charter schools.
2)MAKE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE
The upcoming election will greatly affect our nation. Many states have put in laws in the last few years which have changed what is required to vote. Some states and or areas have purged the voting roles or now require valid identification to cast a vote. If you are not sure about whether or not you are a registered voter, you should check with the local person in charge of registering voters.
3) THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
The first debate of three official debates is scheduled for Monday, September 26 at Hofstra University. The only candidates who will be allowed to participate are those who poll 15% or more. For this first debate it is likely that only Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will participate.
Another interaction between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will be “The Commander-In-Chief Forum.” It will deal with national security, military affairs and veteran’s issues. It is sponsored by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America with many questioners being military veterans and active members of the military in addition to network news correspondents. This forum will air in prime time September 5 on NBC and MSNBC. Check your local news outlet for the time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #151, JULY 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE:
1) FORUM APPROVES RESOLUTION ON BULLYING
2) RESOLUTION TEXT
3) SOCIAL SECURITY COST OF LIVING
4) EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT REPORTING
5) 2016-18 U.S. FORUM COMMITTEE ELECTED
1) FORUM APPROVES RESOLUTION ON BULLYING
The U.S. Forum session at the Nashville International Convention approved a resolution on bullying and cyberbullying. The text is given below. We urge each of you to contact your U.S. Senator and Representative and express your concern about this problem asking him/her to support legislation to control this national problem which has resulted in the death of a number of children in our nation. You can contact members of Congress as well as their staff toll free by requesting to be connected to their office through the Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670.
2) RESOLUTION TEXT
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying in schools is an increasingly pervasive problem with statistics showing one in four U.S. students is bullied on a regular basis which negatively impacts the right of students to live and learn in a safe environment without fear, and has negative lifelong consequences for those who are targets and for those who are bullies; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber bullying incidents have increased through use of social media (leading to 4,400 adolescent suicides per year), suicidal tendencies (for every death there are 100 attempts), and severe depression (14% of high schoolers consider suicide); and Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying U.S. statistics show 30% of students report they are a bullying victim, a bully, or both with 43% of those students reporting they are bullied on-line; and Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying others and being the target of bullies are considered risk factors for youth violence by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and other relevant organizations; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying behavior that goes unchallenged creates a risk of bullies becomingviolent adults, engaging in domestic violence and child abuse; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying behavior is a topic with which many parents are unaware of the severity of the problem and, therefore, neglect talking about it with their children; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying behavior is unchallenged by adults, as in 85% of bullying cases (statistics gathered from annual school reporting to state departments) no interventions or efforts tostop it are made and with some school personnel viewing bullying as a harmless rite of passage thatis best ignored, opens the door for more harassment from bullies; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying has created a situation whereby 160,000 students nationwide miss school every day out of fear of bullies; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying attracts passive participants who are affected by hostile acts and in turn encourage bullying by creating an audience, become desensitized to cruelty, learn to imitate bullying behavior and become bullies themselves or may become fearful of their own safety, adding to feelings of insecurity; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying in the adult work place is prevalent and is often unreported creating a setting of fear which contributes to health issues, diminished performance, and loss of time for employer and employee; therefore, be it
Resolved. That the key women educator organization, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, U.S. Forum members support a federal law with provisions for policies and programs that address the prevention, intervention, and elimination of bullying/cyber bullying;
Resolved, That the key women educator organization, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, U.S Forum members promote messages of bullving/cvber bullying prevention utilizing educational literature, programs and projects for students, school personnel, and parents to establish an acceptance of zero tolerance for bullying behavior and a message that the bullying behavior will not be tolerated any time or any place;
Resolved, That the key women educator organization, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, U.S. Forum members work with agencies, organizations, and legislators in a national effort to inform the general public about the risks and costs of bullying/cyber bullying for both the bully and the target, as well as those who witness bullying, to bring about a change in societal attitudes toward bullying and eliminate the suicides of those subjected to bullying.
Resolved, That the key women educator organization, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, U.S. Forum members contact members of Congress to offer support and expertise to develop a national bullying/cyber bullying prevention law.
3) SOCIAL SECURITY COST OF LIVING
There are currently two bills concerning the Cost of Living (COLA) increases for Social Security recipients which are pending in Congress. They are H.R. 3588 which would guarantee a 3% annual Cost of Living increase for retirees on Social Security, and H.R. 5295 introduced in May 2016 which indexes Cost of Living increases to the annual income of retirees. This ranges from 1-2% for those with incomes of $48,000 for an individual or $20,000 for a couple, 3-4% for an individual with an income of $18,000 or a couple with an income of $20,000. To get more specific information on these bills go to www.Congress.gov and type in the bill number in the box to the left of the magnifying glass emblem.
4) EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT (ESSA) REPORTING
The new education law requests reporting of some specific data that was not previously required which involves how schools spend money. Districts are required to report how much money each school gets and the sources from which the money came. This includes money from the district, the state and the federal government. Academic data, graduation rate and test results are also requested. One anticipated outcome of this data collection and reporting is that each school will use the data it reports to improve the educational outcomes of students in the school.
5) 2016-18 U.S. FORUM COMMITTEE ELECTED
The new U.S. Forum Committee elected at the International Convention in Nashville on July 7 are Chair Carmela DeMarco from New Jersey, Northeast Regional Representative Barbara Bostwick-Quinn from New York, Northwest Regional Representative Darlene Cook from Oregon, Southeast Regional Representative Candace Martin from Arkansas, and Southwest Regional Representative Kathy Davis from Oklahoma.
****************************************************************************************************
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #150, JUNE 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
GOVERNMENT PENSION OFFSET/WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROFIT (GPO/WEP)
GPO/WEP EXPLANATION
CAREER TECH RENEWALGUN SAFETY
PASSWORD SAFETY
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
GOVERNMENT PENSION OFFSET/WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROFIT (GPO/WEP)
The GPO/WEP law which is currently on the books adversely impacts many retired educators in the states of Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas. GPO/WEP affects retirees when two or more pensions have been earned by a person or a person and his/her spouse from any two of three systems. The three systems are Federal Government workers retirement (this includes military), Social Security retirement and a non-Social Security retirement system (usually a state system with no Social Security involvement). Spousal benefits can be reduced considerably when two earned retirement systems are involved. An example is someone who has a monthly $600 pension from a government job and is eligible for $500 a month widow’s benefit from Social Security. Two-thirds of the Social Security widow’s benefit will be subtracted and the person will only get $100 spousal benefit. At the time when this legislation was passed it referred to the dual pension benefits as “double dipping.” In fact many retirees who are affected were not getting alarge retirement income due to either having worked at a low paying job or having worked for a relatively short period of time in one or both jobs. Women are most likely to be impacted by these laws because they didn’t work when their children were young.
The current bill in Congress (H.R. 711) is supposed to help with the monetary losses currently experienced by some retirees by causing the pensions of other retirees previously unaffected to be reduced in order to make up for lost revenue from those currently subject to GPO/WEP . Retirees most likely to be affected are educators, military retirees, policemen and firemen. The law currently proposed is problematic and would cause financial hardship for even more retirees. The objections to this bill are 1) It does not address the Government Pension Offset (GPO) at all. 2) It will widen the impact of WEP so more individuals are impacted. 3) It eliminates the exemption from GPO/WEP for those with 30 years or more in the system. and 4) It would pay for enforcement of GPO by reducing pensions of retirees previously unaffected. Passage of the bill could result in over 10 times more people losing some benefits compared to those who would gain benefits.
For over a decade DKG and the U.S. Forum have strongly supported the Social Security Fairness Act. The current version is the Social Security Fairness Act of 2015 (S.1651/H.R. 973), which would fully repeal the GPO and WEP.
To let your congressional representatives know how you feel about these bills either call toll free through the Congressional Switchboard (1-866-327-8670) and ask for your Senator and Representative or email them by going to www.Congress.gov and clicking on “members” at the top of the screen. If you are in one of the states listed above and are still teaching, it is to your advantage to find out how your retirement income and that of your spouse will be affected by these laws which were passed in the mid 1980s.
GPO/WEP EXPLANATION
For a more detailed explanation of GPO and WEP you can go to
http://www.wiserwomen.org/index.php?id=256&page=Government_Pens
http://www.massretirees.com/wepgpo-explained
CAREER TECH RENEWAL
The “Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act” (H.R. 5587), bill currently being considered by the House Education and the Workforce Committee would reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career Technical Education Act of 2006. This bill will extend career and technical education to the middle grades and it will also allow for dual high school and post secondary credit for the courses affected by this bill. The bill contains provisions to help special needs students as well as English language learners. The way in which funding is provided may, however, lead to a loss of resources at the local level.
GUN SAFETY
Following the Orlando shootings, there has been more than usual action by the U.S. Congress addressing gun violence. Once Congress returns to Washington from the Independence Day break, more action will occur. Possibly there will be another sit-in in the House. The Senate is trying to work out some sort of compromise. No matter what you think about guns and gun legislation in the country, this is the time when some sort of resolution is going to happen. This is the time for each of us who feel strongly about guns and gun rights need to contact out U. S. Representative and our U. S. Senator and let them know what we think. To do this either call toll free through the Congressional Switchboard (1-866-327-8670) and ask for your Senator and Representative or email him or her by clicking on “members” at the top of the screen at www.Congress.gov
PASSWORD SAFETY
With more and more computer hacking occurring lately, users are forced to create new and different passwords for various online activities. It is recommended that one use different passwords and that they are changed fairly frequently. This makes it more likely that a person will forget a password. One way of protecting passwords is to enter them on a flash drive which is rarely connected to your computer.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #149, MAY 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
IN THIS ISSUE
STRONG START FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN ACT
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
REFINANCING STUDENT LOANS
PROGRAM IDEA
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
STRONG START FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN ACT
The Strong Start for America’s Children Act (H.R.2411; S.1380) would provide matching grants to states through the Department of Education. States would issue subgrants to local education providers to fund high quality prekindergarten programs for three and four year old children from low income families. Up to 15% of the state grant money could be applied to education programs for infants and toddlers from low income families. The bill would amend the Head Start Act to include more children in early learning experiences and would direct funding to providers of special education services for infants and toddlers.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Several Executive Orders have been issued by the Obama administration. Although these can effect immediate change, they are only effective until another President is inaugurated. At that time the new President may rescind Executive Orders of the previous administration. The only binding long term legal change is legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. For example, the Executive Order dealing with “Dreamers” allows a group of illegal immigrants to avoid deportation; however, a new president can rescind the order. In that case those who have taken advantage of the previous administration’s Executive Order may find themselves among the first to be deported because they have self-identified as illegals when they sought to take advantage of the previous administration’s Executive Order.
REFINANCING STUDENT LOANS
There are a number of bills pending which would allow refinancing of student loans. S.3008, H.R.5274, H.R.3786, H.R.3634, and H.R.3751 to name a few. Unfortunately, each of these bills was read and referred to committee where it languishes with no action being taken. Since this is an election year there are not many more days in which Congress will be in session as the members go home to campaign for reelection. Therefore, the likelihood of any of these bills being passed is small.
PROGRAM IDEA
To find out what is going on in classrooms in your area, consider inviting two or more first year teachers to describe what their classroom experience has been. You will be interested in what teaching materials they do or do not have available, what their classrooms have or what they lack, and how you and your chapter can help. Many state legislatures are cutting funds to education the result of which is reductions in staff, supplies and activities for students and teachers. Our chapter had such a program in the fall of 2015 which was extremely informative. The two new teachers invited to present our program were initiated into our chapter this spring.
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670[this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #148, APRIL 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
EDUCATION BILL (ESSA) SUMMARY
ESSA PROBLEMS
RETROACTIVE DIPLOMAS
REVISED GED STANDARDS
SOME WOMEN INVENTORS
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
EDUCATION BILL (ESSA) SUMMARY
To see a summary of the new education bill go tohttp://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/every-student-succeeds-act/index.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news1-RM. I am concerned by two facts. (1) There will be a new U.S. President in 2017, and (2) there will probably be a new Secretary of Education in 2017. With the new law taking effect in the 2017-18 school year, will there be adequate time to see that all states have their plans in and approved? (That is probably only a six month window of time to carry out all that goes with such a large change in all states.)
ESSA PROBLEMS
There are potential problems brewing between Congress specifically between the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the newly confirmed Secretary of Education John King. The essence of the disagreement is how Title I funds would be spent. There is concern that instead of federal money being used to supplement local funding to adequately staff Title I programs, the money will be used for routine expenses thus limiting the money needed to carry out the intent of Title I funding. Senator Alexander indicated that he is willing to use Congressional appropriations to insure that congressional intent is heeded. With a new president and, presumably, a new Secretary of Education taking office after the first of the year, this disagreement has the potential to cause problems with the implementation of the new education law. (For more detailed information on this issue go tohttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/04/13/didnt-take-long-new-education-secretary-starts-butting-heads-in-nations-capital/
RETROACTIVE DIPLOMAS
With the change in required exit exams to get a high school diploma, some states are granting high school diplomas retroactively to students who failed the state exit exams but who passed the coursework which the state now requires. In the past nine months, Georgia has retroactively awarded high school diplomas to over 17,000 students. Texas has awarded 4,000 diplomas and anticipates that an additional 12,000 will be eligible to get retroactive diplomas. \Some other states that have passed legislation to allow students who did not pass formerly required exit exams but passed end of course exams to get high school diplomas are California, South Carolina, Arizona and Alaska. If your state has dropped high school graduation tests and you know of students who might be eligible for a retroactive diploma; contact your state Department of Education.
REVISED GED STANDARDS
The GED Testing Service has recently lowered the passing score for the test. This will allow states to lower the score needed to pass the GED. Every section will go from 150 of 200 to pass to 145 of 200. This is retroactive and is estimated to result in approximately 25,000 additional individuals passing the GED based on exams they have already taken. States would have to agree to make the change. To find out whether this change affects you or someone you know check with an institution near you which is part of the GED program. This may be a community college or your state department of education. A person having this high school equivalency certificate will have better job opportunities.
SOME WOMEN INVENTORS
In response to a request to include more information about women’s successes, I offer the following:
It was not until the late 1800s that women could be the owner of record for property or enter into legal agreements in their own name. Instead, a woman's property was in the name of her father or husband. Sybilla Masters may have been the first American woman inventor. She invented a new corn mill, but was denied a patent in 1712 because she was a woman. Three years later the patent was granted when it was filed in her husband's name.
Some other interesting inventions by women are the Apgar Test credited to Virginia Apgar in 1952, the disposable diaper patented by Marion Donovan in 1950 and the dishwasher invented by Josephine Cochran in 1872. Lest you think that women invented only things for the home, note that the windshield wiper was invented by Mary Anderson in 1903, the Rotary engine patented by Margaret Knight in 1904 and the engine muffler exhaust credited to El Dorado Jones in 1917.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670[this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #147, MARCH 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
IN THIS ISSUE
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
LEAD IN DRINKING WATER
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT LEAD IN WATER
REVIVING SOLAR CALCULATORS
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
In 1987 Congress proclaimed March as National Women’s History Month. It is a time to celebrate the achievements of women about many of whom we are ignorant. For some interesting information about women of many races in many fields of endeavor visit the current exhibit of National Museum of Women’s History at https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/ Through the museum we have learned about women as spies, women who dressed as men and fought in wars and women who have achieved distinction in many, diverse fields of endeavor. I particularly liked the story of 17-year-old Jackie Mitchell, the second woman to play in the major leagues, who struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game in 1931, but her contract was voided the next day because the baseball commissioner deemed the sport “too strenuous for women.”
LEAD IN DRINKING WATER
The current children’s health crisis in Flint, Michigan due to high levels of lead in the drinking water has been reported recently. Before the advent of plastic piping in the 1930s, water pipes were either made of lead, iron, copper, or wood. Even when materials other than lead were used, lead could be found in drinking water coming through the pipe. In Jackson, MS, for example, although all the water pipes were not made of lead, they were joined together with a lead compound some of which leached into the water. [Science teachers take note: the word plumbing comes from plumbum the Latin word for lead.]
It is impossible to know how widespread the problem is because the federal government requires only about 10 percent of the nation’s schools and a tiny fraction of day care centers — the 8,225 facilities that run their own water systems — to test for lead at all. The EPA estimates about 90,000 public schools and 500,000 child care facilities are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act because they depend on water sources such as municipal utilities that are expected to test their own water. That means parents have no assurance that lead isn’t seeping into their children’s water from a school building’s pipes, solder or fixtures. In fact, many schools that have tested for lead voluntarily were found to have lead in their water indicating that this is a common occurrence. Given the dangers, the EPA recommends that schools and day care centers test for lead, even if they’re not required to do so and to work to reduce the amount of lead in their water.
But even among schools and day care centers required to test for lead, the USA Today Network analysis found lead levels which caused concern in 42 states. Water providers didn’t always conduct the required follow-up tests or notify customers when tests indicated high levels of lead. For example, in the Ithaca City School District parents weren’t told about problems until four months after test results were known. Four water samples from two district schools which were required to test for lead tested above the EPA action level in August. When the district tested the water again, it found numerous levels greater than 100 ppb (50 ppb is the recommended maximum), according to results it released. Officials turned off drinking water sources at the two schools and made bottled water available throughout the district. EPA officials say they encourage voluntary testing in schools and day care facilities and provide help to those that want to test for lead while also helping those which are required to test in order to stay in compliance.
Blood testing for lead poisoning is typically done in babies, not school-age children. Symptoms usually don’t arise until dangerous levels have accumulated and can be vague, so they are often missed until the damage — such as lowered IQ, behavior problems and developmental delays — has been done.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT LEAD IN WATER
According to the EPA’s 1991 Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) public water systems are required to identify lead service lines.
REVIVING SOLAR CALCULATORS
If you have a solar calculator or other solar powered device which has ceased to function, try placing it open in a window which gets a lot of sunlight. Leave it there for a several days. This will often cause the device to function again. A solar calculator is often kept closed, so that it gets very little light of any kind. This prolonged exposure to light may recharge the solar cell.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #146, February 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS
NEW EDUCATION LAW
REMOVING SMOKE SMELL FROM BOOKS
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS
In his final year in office, President Barack Obama is returning to an issue that was at the heart of the first piece of legislation he signed at the White House: closing the gender pay gap. (This first law enacted was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.) This act allowed women to collect the difference in back pay between themselves and male colleagues in the same job for every paycheck where there was a pay difference. (The Supreme Court ruled that Ledbetter was only entitled to the pay difference for two paychecks instead of those differences over several years, thus affecting not only her take home remuneration but also her Social Security payments.)
Another piece of legislation called The Paycheck Fairness Act has been introduced in every session of Congress for at least ten years. In this session of Congress it is H.R.1619 introduced by Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and S.862 introduced by Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland. Both bills have been referred to committee where in the past they have died at the end of the legislative session. Basically this act allows employees to learn what other workers in similar positions are being paid. Currently it is possible for an employee asking about the pay of others to be fired or otherwise punished. A person who is unaware of what others in a similar position are being paid is powerless to try to redress the situation. In Ledbetter’s case she was unaware of the pay discrepancy until she retired and someone else anonymously left a note about the pay discrepancy.
Recently President Obama put forth new rules that would compel companies with more than 100 workers to provide the federal government with annual data for how much they pay employees based on gender, race and ethnicity. The president said the information would be used to help public enforcement of equal pay laws while giving more insight into discriminatory pay practices. To view all of what action was taken and anticipated results of the action go to https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/01/29/taking-action-advance-equal-pay
Historically, full-time white female workers have only been paid a fraction of their male counterparts: In 2014, white females were paid 79 cents for every dollar paid to white males. The difference for women of color was even greater, and there was a pay difference between the pay of nonwhite male employees and white male employees also thus bringing the problem of racial discrimination in pay to the attention of officials.
NEW EDUCATION LAW
The original law governing education passed in 1965 which has been amended and changed over the years is called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). One of the most well-known reauthorizations of this law was enacted early in this century and became known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This year Congress enacted/reauthorized education funding and the new law is called Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). (The published conference committee report can be found athttps://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/114th-congress/house-report/354/1?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Every+Student+Succeeds%22%5D%7D) Presumably in the future ESSA will be the acronym for the law currently in effect.
The new law returns much of the responsibility for expenditure of K-12 Federal money to the states. The U.S. Department of Education is responsible for insuring that this money is spent in accordance with this act. Particular attention is to be paid to “historically overlooked groups of students” specifically English language learners and special education students. Provisions of the act will take effect October 1, 2016. The 2016-17 school year is a transition year. During this time states must develop and submit plans for use of federal money. On August 1, 2017 the new plans are to take effect. Much about this legislation will be clarified in the coming months.
REMOVING SMOKE SMELL FROM BOOKS
An easy, inexpensive way to remove the smell of smoke from books is to take the book, insert a brand name (not cheapie) clothes dryer sheet in the middle of the book and place the book in a sunny spot in a window for several of days.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #145, JANUARY 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
CHILD BRIDES
ROBOCALLS
OFFICIAL 2016 FLAG FLYING DAYS
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITY
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CHILD BRIDES
Although 18 is the minimum legal age for girls in the United States to marry, younger girls do get married either with the consent of their parents or the approval of a judge. In the U.S. the problem of girls under the age of 18 being forced into marriage by family members is beginning to get attention by researchers. The non-profit Unchained At Last investigated marriages in New Jersey between 1995 and 2012 and found that 178 marriages of children between 10 and 15 were approved by judges. A 2011 survey by the Tahirih Justice Center identified 3,000 known or suspected cases in the previous two years alone of girls in the US as young as 15 who were forced to marry under threats of death, beatings or ostracism. The problem is not limited to girls. In 2006 a 10 year old boy was married to an 18 year old woman. In 1996 a 12 year old girl married a 25 year old man with judicial permission. Part of the problem is public ignorance of the problem. Also there are currently no federal laws which cover the problem, and state laws dealing with the subject vary widely. In depth studies of the problem have just begun in the last few years..
ROBOCALLS
When Congress passed the budget bill recently, a little known section for the first time allowed robocalls to be made to cell phones. In addition to being undesirable, this is a financial problem for those whose cell phone contracts charge for incoming calls. Following talks with Consumer Reports, Time Warner is now offering through its website the free call-blocking service Nomorobo to its 6 million Internet-based phone customers. This service automatically identifies suspicious robocalls and blocks them after one ring. And it rated high for effectiveness with Consumer Reports’ volunteer testers. The major phone companies – AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink – had been reluctant to offer this call-blocking tool directly to their customers. During the meeting, they agreed to consider making it easier for customers to access robocall-blocking tools. For those with traditional landline phones little has been done to alleviate the problem of robocalls. Consumer Reports is continuing to investigate what might be done to help these users.
OFFICIAL 2016 FLAG FLYING DAYS
January 1 — New Year’s Day
January 18 — Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday
February 12 — Abraham Lincoln’s birthday
February 22 — George Washington's birthday
March 27 – Easter Sunday
April 19 – Patriot’s Day
May 15 – Peace Officer’s Day (flag at half staff
May 21 — Armed Forces Day
May 30 — Memorial Day (flag at half staff)
June 14 — Flag Day
July 4 — Independence Day
July 27 – Korean War Veteran’s Day
September 5 — Labor Day
September 11 — Patriot Day (flag at half staff)
September 17 – Constitution Day
October 13 – Navy Birthday
October 14 --Columbus Day
November 8 — Election Day
November 11 — Veterans Day
November 24 — Thanksgiving Day
December 7 — Pearl Harbor Day (flag at half staff)
December 25 — Christmas Day
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
A performance of "Capitol Steps" will be available to those who are arriving on Saturday, March 12, 2016, prior to the beginning of National Legislative Seminar. This live performance at the Ronald Reagan Building in D.C., begins at 7:30 p.m. (EST). Transportation is "on your own" (taxi cab, etc.). "Capitol Steps' is a musical presentation of skits of political satire/humor. By attending as a group of 10 or more, the individual ticket price decreases from $40.50 to $33.00. For more information, contact Wally Turner at [email protected]
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
The registration deadline for the National Legislative Seminar (NLS) of the U. S. Forum being held March 13-16, 2016 in Washington, DC is February 13, 2016. Deadline for specially arranged room rates is February 12, 2016.
The registration form for the National Legislative Seminar can be found athttp://www.usforumdkg.org/legislative-seminar.html. When completing the registration form, you should know that the cost of lunch on Monday is included in the registration fee; however, the cost of Sunday night dinner and Wednesday breakfast is not included in that fee.
All DKG members who reside in the United States are automatically members of the U.S. Forum and are eligible to attend the seminar. The current brochure about the U. S. Forum can be viewed athttp://www.usforumdkg.org/uploads/4/4/6/6/44667559/2016_us_forum_brochure.pdf
***************************************************************************************************
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #144, DECEMBER 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
EDUCATION BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
CREDIT CARD SECURITY
AVOIDING CERTAIN INTERNET POPUP ADS
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITY
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
EDUCATION BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
[acronyms: NCLB = No Child Left Behind; ESEA = Elementary and Secondary Education Act; ESSA = Every Student Succeeds Act]
The new education bill which was passed and signed into law is now being referred to as ESSA. It will not take effect until the 2017-18 school year. Any state waivers which were granted under NCLB will expire August 1, 2016. The 2016-17 school year will be transitional between NCLB and ESSA as states develop policies to comply with the new law. Major issues which the new law addresses are testing and accountability, teacher evaluation, grants and fiscal accountability. The Congressional Record summary of the bill follows.
“The bill provides states with increased flexibility and responsibility for developing accountability systems, deciding how federally required tests should be weighed, selecting additional measures of student and school performance, and implementing teacher evaluation systems.
It includes grants for providing language instruction educational programs, improving low-performing schools, and developing programs for American Indian and Alaska Native students. The bill provides rural school districts with increased flexibility in using federal funding. It also revises the Impact Aid formula.
The bill requires school districts to consult stakeholders in planning and implementing programs to improve student safety, health, well-being, and academic achievement.
It combines two existing charter school programs into one program that includes grants for high-quality charter schools, facilities financing assistance, and replication and expansion.
The bill provides states with flexibility in meeting maintenance of effort requirements for state and local education funding to supplement federal assistance.
The bill prohibits the Department of Education from imposing certain requirements on states or school districts seeking waivers from federal laws.
It provides that ESEA dollars may be used to improve early childhood education programs and specifies requirements to ensure that homeless youth have access to all services provided by the states and school districts.”
(Remember that this bill sets forth policies; however, the funding to implement these policies will be determined by the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee and possibly a joint committee to resolve differences in the bills from the two bodies.)
CREDIT CARD SECURITY
In previous issues the security of credit cards with chips has been discussed. There is an added measure of protection if you have a credit card which has both a chip and a PIN. Originally credit cards had a magnetic chip which was slid through a slot on a machine. Depending on the size of the purchase the purchaser might also have to sign the credit slip. The next level of security was cards with chips. These are inserted into a slot on a machine, and they might also require a signature. The current highest level of security is a card with a chip which also requires the purchaser to have a Personal Identification Number (PIN). Although credit card companies are slowly replacing the magnetic strip cards with cards containing chips, very few cards currently have a chip and also require a PIN. (I find it interesting that Target which was the subject of a large hacking breach has issued new cards with both a chip and a PIN.)
AVOIDING CERTAIN INTERNET POPUP ADS
It is possible to navigate on the Internet and also avoid popup ads. First identify whether the link has an extender such as .com or .net, etc. If it does you can simply click on the link and go to the site. If it does not have an extender, simply right click on the link. A dialog box will appear from which you can select “open” which is usually the first option. Normally one would left click on a link. Doing so on a link with no extender will usually result in a popup ad.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
A performance of "Capitol Steps" will be available to those who are arriving on Saturday, March 12, 2016, prior to the beginning of National Legislative Seminar. This live performance at the Ronald Reagan Building in D.C., begins at 7:30 p.m. (EST). Transportation is "on your own" (taxi cab, etc.). "Capitol Steps' is a musical presentation of skits of political satire/humor. By attending as a group of 10 or more, the individual ticket price decreases from $40.50 to $33.00. For more information, contact Wally Turner at [email protected]
A limited number of tickets are available for "110 in the Shade" at historic Ford's Theatre on Tuesday evening, March 15, 2016. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., (EST). Cost of tickets for center balcony seats is $30.00. Transportation is "on your own". If you are interested in attending the performance, contact: Wally Turner at [email protected].
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
The registration deadline for the National Legislative Seminar (NLS) of the U. S. Forum being heldMarch 13-16, 2016 in Washington, DC is February 13, 2016. Deadline for specially arranged room rates is February 12, 2016.
The registration form for the National Legislative Seminar can be found at http://www.usforumdkg.org/legislative-seminar.html. When completing the registration form, you should know that the cost of lunch on Monday is included in the registration fee; however, the cost of Sunday night dinner and Wednesday breakfast is not included in that fee.
All DKG members who reside in the United States are automatically members of the U.S. Forum and are eligible to attend the seminar. The current brochure about the U. S. Forum can be viewed athttp://www.usforumdkg.org/uploads/4/4/6/6/44667559/2016_us_forum_brochure.pdf
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
THE DOCTOR IS IN THE HOUSE
WOMEN IN CONGRESS
PROTECTING AMERICA’S LUNG ACT
COURT ACTION INVOLVING SECRETARY DEVOS
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEBSITE
CALLING YOUR LEGISLATOR
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
Now is the time to make plans to attend the National
Legislative Seminar. The seminar
will be held at the Holiday Inn Crystal City on March 15-18, 2020. The
registration form can be found on the United States Forum website (www.usforumdkg.org). The
main issues we will be addressing are issues such as human trafficking, gun
violence as it pertains to school shootings, opioid crisis and vaping among our
students, and mental health issues with students. There will be additional
topics from survey taken at the international conferences this past summer.
Before you come to the NLS, get with the other ladies in your state and schedule your visits to your legislators for Tuesday, March 17. This is our day to visit Capitol Hill. Even if you are unable to get a time set with one of your legislators, plan on stopping by their office and leaving some information on the US Forum, a business card, and issues of concern. The steering committee will be providing folders and brochures for each state to use. Look for that communication to come out by email in early January. However, now is the time to start making those legislative contacts.
Be sure and take advantage
of one or more of the optional tours that are provided. Check your registration
form for more details. The Capitol Steps is a popular one on Saturday night,
March 14. Come and enjoy the networking with other DKG members.
THE DOCTOR IS IN THE HOUSE
Representative Dr. Kim Schrier, a newly elected representative from Washington, is a pediatrician. She introduced H.J.Res.38 entitled ”Removing the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment” which currently has 213 cosponsors. Dr. Schier also introduced the Vaccines Act of 2019 (H.R.2862). This act would “provide for a national system for surveillance of vaccine rates, to authorize research on vaccine hesitancy, and increase public understanding of the benefits of immunizations.” This bill currently has 23 cosponsors.
WOMEN IN CONGRESS
This session of Congress has more women than any other in the past. A couple of groups of women have been formed each of which has a commonality. You have almost certainly heard of “The Squad” which is comprised of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Ilhan Omar (MN), and Ayanna Presley (MA) who are all members of the House of Representatives.
Another lesser known group of women in the House of Representatives has termed themselves “The Badasses.: These women have all served in either the armed forces or the CIA and therefore have similar experiences and agreements. The members of the Badasses are Abigail Spanberger (VA, CIA). Elaine Luria (VA, Navy), Chrissy Houlahan (PA, CIA), Elissa Slotkin (MI, CIA), and Mikie Sherrill (NJ, Navy).
Another military woman the House is Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii who is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Although they are not organized into a group there are several women with military experience in the Senate. They are Joni Ernst (R-IA) Army; Martha McSally (R-AZ) Air Force; and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) who was an Army helicopter pilot. Ms. Duckworth is the first woman double amputee elected to the Senate and the first Senator to give birth while serving in Congress.
The women have caused several accommodations to be made notably allowing a member to be on the floor of the House with an infant and permitting Moslem headwear to be worn on the floor.
We even have an active DKG member in the U.S. Congress. She is Senator Kirsten Sinema of Arizona.
PROTECTING AMERICA’S LUNG ACT
This information comes from GovTrack.com. The bill (H.R.4742) was introduced on October 18 by Rep.
Thomas Suozzi (D-NY3).
As written, this would tax vaping products like vape pens or e-cigarettes the
same as the federal tax rate as traditional cigarettes.
Supporters of the bill
believe that it takes on a public health crisis. The number of teenagers who
are becoming addicted to nicotine is staggering.
Opponents
of the bill believe that vaping and e-cigarettes are safer than traditional
cigarettes. If the price is kept lower, more people will be encouraged to quit.
To find out more about
this bill check out the article at https://govtrackinsider.com/protecting-american-lungs-
act-would-tax-vaping-products-like-e-cigarettes-the-
same-as-traditional-952f10b2d0dd
You can keep up with this bill’s progress through GovTrack.com
COURT ACTION INVOLVING SECRETARY DEVOS
Corinthian Colleges Inc., one of the largest for-profit college chains in the nation declared bankruptcy in 2015. The Security and Exchange Act of 1934 is the basis of action taken against Corinthian Colleges, Inc. an organization which also ran WyoTech, Heald and Everest. The bankruptcy was a result of several investigations by the federal government. As a result of the court action an estimated 335,000 former students would have their federal student loan debts voided and would receive a refund for past payments on those loans. Department of Education Secretary DeVos was charged with implementing the court decision. Instead of voiding the debts and repaying past payments, Secretary DeVos has continued collecting payments even going so far as to garnish wages and tax refunds. After several court actions the most recent of which was handed down on October 8, 2019, Secretary DeVos was again directed to refund money and discontinue collecting payments and also to pay a $100,000 fine.
###
=========================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #189, SEPTEMBER 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
HEALTH INSURANCE UPDATE
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
STUDENT LOANS
POSSIBLE NEW MEMBER OF CONGRESS
HATE IN AMERICA
FREE CLASSROOM RESOURCES
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
WHISTLEBLOWER P.S.
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEBSITE
CALLING YOUR LEGISLATOR
CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
Most of us are aware of the process of amending the U.S. Constitution. (I’m still waiting for the Equal Rights Amendment to pass.) Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides for the convening of a “Constitutional Convention” to substantially change or even to rewrite the Constitution. Earlier this year I received snail mail proposing convening a national Constitutional Convention. Apparently, this has been receiving some attention in some of the states. I was amazed to learn that the 2019 Mississippi Legislature was considering this. That there was considerable dissent in that body does not surprise me. I do not know what is happening in other states, but this whole concept came as a great shock. It would seem that a total rewrite would neglect to cover some situations which are now covered either by law or by the original constitution.
HEALTH INSURANCE UPDATE
The Affordable Care Act is still in the courts. The individual mandate (anyone not subscribing to ACA) would pay a penalty. The individual mandate was in effect through 2018 but disappears as of 2019. Through the end of 2019 ACA provides
- Young adults up to age 26 can be insured on their parent’s health insurance
- There would be no annual and lifetime caps on benefits
- Pre-existing conditions are covered
- Coverage for mental health and addiction treatment services
- Federal support for expanded Medicaid eligibility
- Premium subsidies for low- and moderate-income individuals and families to purchase coverage and cost sharing subsidies to lower out-of-pocket costs
The American Medical Association has its own recommendations. “Continue efforts to cover the uninsured, and ensure that any future proposals do not cause individuals covered as a result of Affordable Care Act provisions to become uninsured, maintain key insurance market reforms, such as pre-existing conditions, guaranteed issue and parental coverage for young adults, stabilize and strengthen the individual insurance market, ensure that low/moderate income patients are able to secure affordable and adequate coverage, ensure that Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and other safety net programs are adequately funded, reduce regulatory burdens that detract from patient care and increase costs, provide greater cost transparency throughout the health care system, incorporate common sense medical liability reforms and continue the advancement of delivery reforms and new physician-led payment models to achieve better outcomes, higher quality and lower spending trends.”
Currently during the Democratic debates Medicare For All has been discussed. One main part of the debate is whether or not people could keep their private insurance. It is not clear whether the private insurance option would cover preexisting conditions and/or denial of coverage for selected major medical expenses.
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R.7) which directs the EEOC to collect compensation data on employees with respect to the sex, race, and national origin from employers. This could be used to enforce laws prohibiting pay discrimination. The bill has passed the House with 239 cosponsors, and it was sent to the Senate where it has not been brought up for a vote. An act of this type has been introduced in every session of Congress for at least the last ten years. This legislation would begin addressing the pay discrimination identified in the case of Lilly Ledbetter which was partially remedied by the Lilly Ledbetter Act of 2009.
Background: Lilly Ledbetter worked as a supervisor for Goodyear Tire and Rubber. After she retired, she got an anonymous note informing her that she had been paid substantially less than men with similar experience and seniority. (She was paid $3,727 per month whereas men were being paid $4,286 to $5,236 per month.) She sued the company for back pay, but she eventually lost the suit in the Supreme Court because her suit was filed over 180 days after she received her last paycheck. Although the Supreme Court majority ruled against her, Justices Ginsburg, Stevens, Souter and Breyer ruled in her favor. In an unusual move, Justice Ginsburg wrote the dissent and read it from the bench. She argued against applying the 180-day limit to file pay discrimination, because discrimination often occurs in small increments over long periods of time. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 lifted the time limitation on filing pay discrimination suits; however, it did not allow Mrs. Ledbetter to receive a settlement for back pay nor did it attack the problem of sexual pay discrimination. Lilly Ledbetter not only lost the back pay due to discrimination, but her Social Security was and is based on her lower pay thus reducing her continued income over the rest of her lifetime.
STUDENT LOANS
There are several bills in Congress dealing with student loans. These include the Student Loan Repayment Assistance Act of 2019 (H.R.3098), The Student Loan Interest Tax Deduction Expansion Act (H.R.1070), Student Loan Forgiveness (H.R.3098), The Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act of 2019 (S.1414), and the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act (S.768). None has been brought to the floor for a vote in either house.
POSSIBLE NEW MEMBER OF CONGRESS
In the 1835 Treaty of New Echota, the Cherokee Nation was granted the right to appoint a delegate to serve as a member to the U.S. House of Representatives. On September 5, 2019 the first person to fill this position was selected by the tribe. The next step in the process would be whether the House of Representatives will seat this delegate. If seated this delegate would presumably have the same rights as delegates from the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These officials cannot vote on the House floor, but they can serve on and vote in committees, introduce legislation, and participate in debate.
HATE IN AMERICA
There are currently many hate groups and different types of hate groups. After 9/11 the federal government found only one organization which had been tracking terrorist leaning groups in the U.S. This was the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama and founded in 1971. In the intervening years the center has been involved in a number of law suits ranging from crowding in juvenile detention facilities, killings of gay people, school discrimination problems and other problems most of which they have won. The center has recently published maps showing various types of hate groups. It can be found at https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map. The map allows one to check hate group variety as well as how many and which such groups exist in your area.
FREE CLASSROOM RESOURCES
The National Women’s History Museum (https://www.womenshistory.org) contains history lesson plans, biographies, posters and videos.
The Energy Teacher Resource (http://energyteacher.org) created by the Association of Science Technology Centers designed for teaching grades K-12 provides videos and
energy literacy resources.
The Green Room (https://bit.ly./2Goy/OA) is another free K-12 resource which provides suggested classroom activities created by the National Wildlife Federation to provide suggestions on activities dealing with wildlife, habitat, and ecosystems.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
Now is the time to make plans to attend the National Legislative Seminar. The seminar will be held at the Holiday Inn Crystal City on March 15-18, 2020. The registration form and additional information can be found on the United States Forum website (www.usforumdkg.org). We look forward to seeing you in March!
WHISTLEBLOWER P.S.
(H.R.3625) PCAOB Whistleblower Protection Act of 2019 passed the house on September 23. 2019
As of September 1, many bills have been passed by the House. Few have been brought to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
To obtain a daily update on legislation that is pending, go to www.govtrack.us and sign up for legislative updates. You can choose to get updates on topics of interest via email. When you open the email and click on a bill title, you get a summary of the bill. If you don’t want daily updates, you can go to the site and click on a section called “Find Legislation that Affects You.” This site uses the congress.gov information provided by the Library of Congress and organizes it for you. When you click on a bill here, the sponsor, the history, and the current status of the bill in the legislative process are given. The site also gives information about the likelihood of the bill becoming a law and includes legislators’ statements in regards to this piece of legislation.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #187, JULY 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
PROPOSED CHANGES IN VOTING LAWS
ALTERNATE REGULATION
MEDICARE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
DITCH MITCH
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CALLING YOUR LEGISLATOR
PROPOSED CHANGES IN VOTING LAWS
The For the People Act of 2019 (S.949) has been introduced in the Senate and has 40 cosponsors. Its purpose is to deal with voting, campaign finance and ethics. The bill would provide for Internet voter registration and would allow persons 16 years of age or older to register to vote in any state in which voting under the age of 18 is allowed.
ALTERNATE REGULATION
A relatively recent scientific advance called CRISPR (pronounced crisper) allows genes to be modified. It has been described as being like using a pair of scissors to modify genes by adding genetic material or deleting genetic material. In November 2018 a Chinese physician used CRISPR technology to alter genes in two human embryos which were fertilized in vitro. This has caused an uproar in the medical/scientific community. Although there would seem to be little objection to using this therapy on adults past child bearing age, using the technique on children or anyone of child bearing age could result in passing on the alteration or some distorted form of it to subsequent generations.
If you recall cloning was first experimented in 1996 using a sheep named Dolly. The reason for this experimentation using an animal was to avoid causing unexpected problems with the procedure. Most animals have a much shorter lifespan than humans. (Dolly lived seven years.) Also the animal could be prevented from procreating thus avoiding long-term unanticipated consequences. Alternatively the animal could be destroyed should the experimental procedure yield potentially dangerous results. If a human showed evidence of major problems as a result of the procedure, what could be done. If there were problems with an experiment involving animals. The animal could be destroyed. This could cause a moral dilemma when applied to humans. If a human evidences major problems, as a result of the procedure, how would one decide what steps to take. Likewise I doubt the person would opt not to have children. Another aspect possibly not considered, can the procedure be reversed? Can it be successful if this is attempted. Some CRISPR gene modification has been studied in mice.
In the recent Chinese experimentation using CRISPR two infants were the subjected to gene therapy. No permission was sought or obtained. The long-term consequences of this procedure can be guessed at, but as with many scientific experiments, there are often unexpected developments. These children will probably live for decades and in all probability they will have children. Presumably use of CRISPR gene modification will be regulated by governments in the future. We see how slow that can be especially with regard to a complex medical scientific procedure. In this case consequences of this action might not be noticed until decades after CRISPR was used. In the meantime the scientific and the medical communities have the means to regulate this experimentation by controlling publication in scientific journals and by refusing the person/team from making presentations at scientific meetings. For more complete information on this subject go to https://www.inkstonenews.com/science/scientist-he-jiankui-defends-gene-editing-babies-leaves-questions-unanswered/article/2175418?gclid=CjwKCAjwm4rqBRBUEiwAwaWjjFLxRXrG0xhyLH_0XcV82-4QtTYyVuLtkEPlAGuZPpkcATZE1CpSdRoC85UQAvD_BwE
MEDICARE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Although the cost of prescription drugs was one of the few things on which the parties agreed, (H.R.991 and S.25, H.R.860) All pf these bills are still in committee and none has not been brought to the floor for a vote in either house. It is estimated that 40% of Americans either didn’t fill prescriptions, skipped doses or cut pills in half in an effort to make the medication last longer. Consider a person I know who cut her daily doses in half to save money. She ended up in the hospital for a week. (What is cheaper, subsidizing the expensive medication or paying for a week in a hospital?)
DITCH MITCH
Although many bills have passed the House of Representatives and many bills have been filed in the Senate, very few bills have been brought to the floor for a vote in the Senate. The reason for this is that Mitch McConnell, the majority leader in the Senate has allowed voting on very few bills. Almost any bill brought up for a vote will pass the Senate. Fairly recently an organized effort has been mounted to defeat McConnell who is up for reelection in 2020. The organization calls itself “Ditch Mitch.”
====================================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #186, JUNE 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
MEDICARE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
RAPE SURVIVOR CUSTODY ACT
SPECIFIC EDUCATION LEGISLATION
ARSENIC IN BOTTLED WATER
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CALLING YOUR LEGISLATOR
MEDICARE AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Although the Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act of 2019 has been introduced in both houses (H.R.1046 and S.377) it has not been brought to the floor for a vote in either house. It is estimated that 40% of Americans either didn’t fill prescriptions, skipped doses or cut pills in half in an effort to make the medication last longer.
RAPE SURVIVOR CUSTODY ACT
The Rape Survivor Custody Act is contained in Section 107 of the bill entitled The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 (H.R.1585) which has been passed by the House and is awaiting action in the Senate. This is simply an extension of a law passed in 2016. The origin of that law was a case in Michigan where the father of a child resulting from a rape was granted joint custody of the child. Congress acted on this by passing a law which provided funds to the states for Stop Violence Against Women (STOP) and Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP)
In order to be are eligible to receive these funds a state must have passed a law that allows the mother of a child conceived through rape to seek court-ordered termination of the parental rights of the rapist with regard to that child, and could apply to receive federal government funding.
The following states have passed qualifying statutes and have applied for and received federal funding:
Alaska
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana
Iowa
Maine
Michigan
Missouri
Texas
Wisconsin.
This means that at present a rape victim in the following states
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona Arkansas California Connecticut Delaware
District of Columbia
Idaho
Illinois
Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Minnesota Mississippi Montana Nebraska Nevada
New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York
North Carolina North Dakota Ohio
Oklahoma, Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
Virginia Washington West Virginia Wyoming
has no protection to prevent her rapist from getting custody of the child conceived as a result of the rape.
THE COST OF DEPORTING THE DREAMERS (DACA)
It costs roughly $13,000 to educate a child from K-12. There are estimated to be between 690,000 and 800,000 of the so-called Dreamers (immigrant children brought to the U.S.). This is between $8.97 trillion and $10.4 trillion that U.S. taxpayers have invested in these children. That does not include the cost of a college education which many of these individuals have. It makes no allowance for the various taxes these people will pay during a working lifetime. It would not make sense to give this much money to other countries.
SPECIFIC EDUCATION LEGISLATION
The Computer Science for All Act of 2019 (H.R.1678) would authorize the Secretary of Education to carry out a program to increase computer science education from prekindergarten through grade 12. The Protect Our Universities Act of 2019 (S.969) would create a task force within the Department of Education to protect against foreign governments accessing U.S. government funded research on college campuses.
Note: No summary of bills is given at Congress.gov. In order to determine the content of a bill it is necessary to access the “text” which is laden with legal terminology and may contain many multiple subsections.
ARSENIC IN BOTTLED WATER
Consumer Reports recently published a report that the arsenic concentration in some bottled water exceeds limits set by the Food and Drug Administration. Two brands specifically mentioned were Penafiel (Keurig Dr Pepper brand) and Starkey Water (Whole Foods brand). As of May 2019 the FDA had not issued a recall of Penafiel or Starkey Water. Although water is touted as “natural flowing from the ground” an appreciable quantity of natural water (including well water) may contain unacceptable amounts of arsenic. Even though some bottled water contains under the acceptable amount of arsenic, it has been noted that even drinking bottled water with just under the acceptable limit on a regular basis may lead to accumulating unacceptable levels in the body. https://www.consumerreports.org/water-quality/arsenic-in-some-bottled-water-brands-at-unsafe-levels/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
As Emily Ellsworth suggests in a New York Times article, phone calls from constituents are often more effective than emails because emails are depersonalized and easily ignored with other overwhelming requests for contact.
Do you know who your legislator is? Your national legislators are easily identified if you don’t already know who they are. Go to Congress.gov . In the middle of the right-hand side of the screen is a black box which says “Contact Your Member.” Then select either Representative or Senator. You will receive directions which will enable you to find your senators and representatives.
Consider devoting part of a chapter meeting to legislation. Then have the chapter members contact their delegation offering the action you want taken. We are told that when five or more constituents contact a legislator about s topic, the legislator will pay attention and usually take the suggested action. A good trial run would be to contact a senator about signing on as a cosponsor of S.699. You can see whether your contact
CANDIDATES AND EDUCATION
Four of the presidential candidates have proposed some actions related to education. Cory Booker wants to help educators retire their college debt; while Kamala Harris is proposes giving every teacher a pay raise via a new federal initiative. Amy Klobuchar would like to use an infrastructure initiative to update school physical facilities, and Elizabeth Warren is proposing the creation of a universal child care program. These candidates are actively seeking the endorsement of the large national teacher’s groups.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-202-224-3121. [This is not a toll free number]. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #183, MARCH 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
SMITHSONIAN WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM
Educators TAX Deduction INCREASE
MEDICARE
SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES
NEW HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION
TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS
EDUCATION CUTS IN PROPOSED BUDGET
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
SMITHSONIAN WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM
For twenty years DKG’s U.S. Forum has supported efforts to have a women’s history museum in Washington, DC. It looks closer to becoming a reality with two bills introduced in Congress on March 28 and 29 of this year which would make a Women’s Museum part of the Smithsonian Institution’s complex of museums. Both the Senate bill (S.959) and the House bill (H.R.1980) have been referred to committee. I find it interesting that the House version was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.
Currently the museum exists only online at https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/online-exhibits. The site contains “exhibits.” These exhibits feature women in sports, women in STEM fields, women in history, and women campaigning for the right to vote to mention a few.
In the STEM exhibit we learn that Maria Mitchell was America’s first professional female astronomer. On October 1, 1847, at the age of 29, Maria Mitchell discovered a comet, becoming the first American to do so.
Educators TAX Deduction INCREASE
The Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act (H.R.878) would raise the expense which educators can annually deduct from income tax from $250 to $500, and the amount of the deduction would increase each year after 2019 based on cost of living. This latter point is significant; because, if passed, a new bill and revised law would not have to be considered by each future session of Congress.
MEDICARE
Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act of 2019 (H.R.1046)(S.377) would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate Medicare Part D prescription drug prices. The Stop Price Gouging Act (H.R.1093)(S.378) would levy an excise tax of 50-100% on each prescription drug manufacturer which has drugs which are subject to price spikes. This act provides details for its enforcement.
SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES
The Social Security Expansion Act (H.R.1170)(S.478) would increase Social Security payments by 1% in 2025. There would be annual increases from 2026 through 2038. A new trust fund called the Social Security Trust Fund would be established and would contain the combined assets in the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund. The tax on wages (FICA) would be levied on those earning between $128,700 and $250,000. This additional money would extend the life of Social Security and Medicare.
NEW HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION
A bill (HR1868) introduced last week would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve affordability and reduce premium costs of health insurance for consumers.
TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS
The Preserving Teacher Loan Forgiveness for Military Spouses Act of 2019 (S.532, H.R.1226) would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow an individual to remain eligible to participate in the teacher loan forgiveness program under title IV of the Act when the teacher’s moves because the individual is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces who is relocated during the school year because the individual’s military spouse is transferred. This would be covered by the Defense Dependents’ Education Act of 1978.
EDUCATION CUTS IN PROPOSED BUDGET (alphabetically)
21st Century Community Learning Centers $1.2 billion
Alaska Native Education $36 million
American History & Civics Education $4.8 million
Arts in Education $29 million
Comprehensive Centers $52 million
Comprehensive Literacy Development Grants $190 million
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants $840 million
Full-Service Community Schools $17.5 million
Fund For The Improvement of Postsecondary Education $17.5 million
Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs $360 million
Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need $23 million
Impact & Payments for Federal Property $74.3 million
Innovative Approaches to Literacy $27 million
International Education & Foreign Languages
Studies Domestic Program $85.1 million
International Education & Foreign Languages
Studies Overseas Program $7.1 million
Javits Gifted & Talented Education $12 million
Native Hawaiian Education $36.4 million
Promise Neighborhoods $78.3 million
Ready to Learn Programming $27.7 million
Regional Educational Laboratories $55.4 million
Special Olympics Education Programs $17.6 million*
Statewide Family Engagement Centers $10 million
Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems $32.3 million
Strengthening Institutions $99.9 million
Student Support & Academic Enrichment Grants $1.2 billion
Supported Employment State Grants $22.5 million
Supporting Effective Educator Development $75 million
Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants $2.1 billion
Teacher Quality Partnership $43.1 million
Total $6.7 billion
*Largely due to pressure from the Senate Appropriations subcommittee during its questioning of Secretary DeVos the Special Olympics cut was eliminated.
============================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #182, FEBRUARY 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
PROTECTING THE VOTE
GREEN NEW DEAL
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
Recommended watching
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
PROTECTING THE VOTE
The very first act introduced in this session of Congress is For the People Act of 2019 (H.R.1). With 236 cosponsors it should pass the House in some form. The act sets forth actions which would protect the right to vote. The act has three categories 1) voting, 2) campaign finance and 3) ethics. It has been referred to several committees.
GREEN NEW DEAL
Legislation introduced in early February proposes a "Green New Deal." (H.Res.109 and S.Res.59) Within two weeks of its introduction the bills had 89 cosponsors in the House and 11 cosponsors in the Senate. The legislation apparently meets the approval of Senate Majority Leader McConnell who introduced S.J.Res 8 within a week of the introductions thus tying the two bills together. This joint resolution declares that the government has a duty to create a Green New Deal with the goals of
- achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions;
- establishing millions of high-wage jobs and ensuring economic security for all;
- investing in infrastructure and industry;
- securing clean air and water, climate and community resiliency, healthy food, access to nature, and a sustainable environment for all; and
- promoting justice and equality.
- building smart power grids (i.e., power grids that enable customers to reduce their power use during peak demand periods);
- upgrading all existing buildings and constructing new buildings to achieve maximum energy and water efficiency;
- removing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation and agricultural sectors;
- cleaning up existing hazardous waste and abandoned sites;
- ensuring businesspersons are free from unfair competition; and
- providing higher education, high-quality health care, and affordable, safe, and adequate housing to all.
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
There are currently three bills which relate to reauthorizing the Violence Against Act (VAWA). The Violence Against Women Health Act of 2019 (H.R.973) which deals with domestic violence and dating violence. The other two pieces of legislation are related to the Violence Against Women Act which expired in December 2018. H.R.1239 reauthorizes the Department of Justice programs which combat violence against women, and H.R.1310 would amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to include the rural development voucher program. All three of these bills have been referred to committee, and none has been reported out of committee.
Recommended watching
On the Basis of Sex, a movie about the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG) is being aired Sunday night at 8 p.m. cst on MSNBC. I think you would find it interesting. Not only does it document her life prior to being appointed to the Supreme Court, it shows her trials and tribulations in her early career and how she was helped and encouraged by her husband.
I saw the movie in a theater a couple of weeks ago. It brought back memories of my applying for a credit card. I stated that I was married but did not give my husband's name. The card was issued to X Bedenbaugh.
=================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #181, JANUARY 2019
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT UPDATE
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
NEWLY REPORTED LEAD EXPOSURE CONCERNS
CURRENT SOCIAL SECURITY INFORMATION
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS
There are currently two types of bills related to prescription drugs which have been introduced in this new session of Congress. There are the bills which concern all prescription drugs (S.102, H.R.465) which seek to end monopolies which the government has granted to manufacturers for certain drugs. This allows pharmaceutical companies to charge more for their drugs in the United States than they charge people in other countries. These bills if passed and signed into law would cause drug prices in the United States to be the same as the price of these drugs in other countries.
The other prescription drug bills concern Medicare Part D prescription drugs (S.62, H.R.448). These bills authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate with manufacturers to get fair, reduced prices for drugs covered under Medicare, Part D.
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT UPDATE
As of January 15, 2019 the Virginia Senate ratified the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). It remains for the Virginia House of Representatives to ratify ERA. In the previous Virginia legislative session a majority of the members of the House and the Senate signed on as cosponsors of ERA.
In addition to the action in Virginia, Georgia is actively considering ratification of the amendment. As of January 30, 2019 Georgia legislators have been discussing ERA. In Georgia ratification has support of both a Democratic state senator as well as a Republican state senator. Only one more state needs to ratify ERA in order for it to become part of the Constitution. Once one more state ratifies the amendment, the U.S. Congress will have a decision to make. Congress can either change the deadline for ratification or draft a new amendment. It is possible that whichever action is taken may be taken to court.
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
Senator Dianne Feinstein has again submitted legislation to ban assault weapons titled the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 (S.66). The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee and currently has 28 cosponsors. Getting more cosponsors will make it more likely that this bill will be reported out of committee. [It is presently in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are Lindsey Graham (SC), chair and Dianne Feinstein (CA), ranking member. Other senators on the committee are Marsha Blackburn (TN), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Cory A. Booker (NJ), Christopher A Coons (DE), John Cornyn (TX), Mike Crapo (ID), Ted Cruz (TX), Richard J. Durbin (IL), Joni Ernst (IA), Chuck Grassley (IA), Kamala D. Harris (CA), Josh Hawley (MO), Mazie K. Hirono (HI), John Kennedy (LA), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Patrick J. Leahy (VT), Mike Lee (UT), Ben Sasse (NE), Thom Tillis (NC), and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)] If this issue is of interest to you, I suggest that you contact your U.S. Senator and urge him/her to sign on as a bill cosponsor. You can contact your Senator either by telephone at 202-224-3121 (this is not a toll free number) or by email through http://www.senate.gov/
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
Some bills passed into law have a “sunset” provision. This means that there is essentially an expiration date on the law at which time it would have to be renewed (and possibly revised) or the law would expire. Some examples of this are the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) which was No Child Left Behind (NCLB) during the George W. Bush presidency. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was recently revised and reauthorized with the title Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) during the Obama administration. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Higher Education Act both of which are revised and reauthorized periodically because they have “sunset” provisions meaning they will expire unless revised and enacted into law. Another example of a law with a sunset provision is Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Assault Weapons Ban which was passed in 1994 and allowed to expire in 2004 because it was not revised and/or reenacted.
Another example of a law with a sunset provision is the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) which expired last year. Specific bills in the last session of Congress to reauthorize VAWA were offered (H.R.6545, H.R.6796, H.R.7390 and S.2120) and referred to committee. None of these bills were acted on and reported out of the committee to which they were referred. (I still wonder about the reason why one of the bills was referred to the Foreign Relations Committee.) Very late in the last legislative session VAWA was appended to the bill which would finance the government. As you probably know that bill was passed by both houses, but it was vetoed by the President. As you also probably know the failure of the President to sign this bill resulted in the recent government shutdown and which caused VAWA to expire. Several members of Congress have vowed to introduce new legislation to put VAWA into effect early in the current session of Congress. Presumably the text of a new VAWA already exists which should expedite the matter. Currently H.R. 505 addresses Violence Against Women. It is possible VAWA could part of a bill which Congress thinks will pass and be signed by the President.
NEWLY REPORTED LEAD EXPOSURE CONCERNS
It has recently been reported that there may be lead in dirt, and this lead can be taken up by vegetables and other edible plants causing human lead exposure. The recent reports of lead in school drinking water in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have again put lead in drinking water back in the headlines. These reports will almost certainly lead individuals and/or other entities to test for lead in drinking water in other localities. It is interesting that in one school different concentrations of lead were found in different water fountains in the same school.
Lead test kits are available at Lowe’s ($9.98), Home Depot ($9.97), Walgreens ($9.99 ordered online with free shipping to store), and Ace Hardware stores ($12.99). These test kits can be used to test for lead in drinking water as well as for lead in the soil.
CURRENT SOCIAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Several entities purported to be protecting Social Security and/or Medicare have been formed and become increasingly active. They distribute petitions and surveys which they encourage citizens to fill out, sign and return with varying suggested amounts of money.
These organizations include but are not limited to The Benefit Protection Alliance, Council For Retirement Security, The Greatest Generation, National Council For Survivors, National Seniors Council, National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), The Seniors Center, The Seniors Coalition, and The Senior Security Alliance. Although the National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) has existed for 36 years the others are of much more recent origin. Some purport to be for actions which are totally unrealistic such as increasing Social Security payments to certain groups of seniors.
You may want to sign and return the petitions, but I would suggest that you refrain from donating money to any of them.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-202-224-3121. Another way of contacting your senator is via email available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------==========================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #180, DECEMBER 2018
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 70,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HEALTH CARE RULING
NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
AUDUBON PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
2019 OFFICIAL FLAG FLYING DAYS
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
HEALTH CARE RULING
In 2014 the U.S Supreme Court ruled against the provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA also known as Obama Care) that anyone not having purchased health care insurance would have to pay an income tax penalty. This ruling does not take effect until the 2019 tax year and is, therefore, not effective until 2019 tax returns are filed in 2020. Those not having health insurance or covered by ACA will still be subject to a penalty on their 2018 Income Tax Return. On December 14, 2018 a Texas court ruled that if one part of ACS is unconstitutional the entire ACA is unconstitutional, and ,therefore, all of ACA is invalid. The suit was brought by attorneys general from about 15 states. A counter suit by about the same number of state attorneys general argued against this ruling. The whole issue has been appealed and a stay of execution on the Texas ruling has been issued meaning that ACA is still in effect until there is a Supreme Court ruling on the law. It is estimated that it will take about two years for the appeals process through various courts to reach the Supreme Court where it would finally be adjudicated. In the meantime ACA is still law and except for the mandate for all citizens to have health insurance, the rest of ACA is legal and enforceable.
The current session of Congress will have to decide whether to amend ACA or devise a new health care law. Any ACA amendment will be invalid if the Supreme Court decides that the rest of the law is invalid. Thus it is likely that Congress will be faced with the task of formulating new health care legislation.
NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE
The National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act (H.R.7187, S.3828) was due to expire in 2018. On December 21, 2018 it was renewed and signed into law by President Trump. This new law only extends federal flood insurance coverage until May 31, 2019. There is currently debate as to whether the Federal Government should be subsidizing this coverage. The reason for this federal program is that the coverage through private insurance companies is much more expensive. It has recently been argued that rather than subsidizing extensive repairs after a flood, homeowners should be encouraged to relocate from flood prone areas to other areas which are not prone to flooding and this would be more likely if they had to pay more for insurance.
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
Some bills passed into law have a “sunset” provision. This means that there is essentially an expiration date on the law at which time it would have to be renewed (and possibly revised) or the law would expire. Some examples of this are the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (NCLB/ESSA), and the Higher Education Act both of which have been revised and reauthorized. An example of a law affected by the sunset provision is Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Assault Weapons Ban which was passed in 1994 and allowed to expire in 2004.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) expires this year. Specific bills to reauthorize VAWA were offered (H.R.6545, H.R.6796, H.R.7390 and S.2120) and referred to committee. None of these bills were acted on in any committee to which they were referred. (I still wonder about the reason why one of the bills was referred to the Foreign Relations Committee.) Very late in this legislative session VAWA was appended to the bill which would finance the government. As you aware probably aware that bill was passed by both houses, but it was not signed into law. As you also probably know the failure of the President to sign this bill resulted in the current government shutdown and allowed VAWA to expire. Several members of Congress have vowed to introduce new legislation to put VAWA into effect early in the next session of Congress. Presumably the text of a new VAWA already exists which should expedite the matter. Exactly what will happen after that is anyone’s guess.
AUDUBON PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
The entry dates for the Audubon Photography contest are January 7, 2019 through April 8, 2019. Details and entry materials for this contest can be found at www.audubonphotoawards.org.
2019 OFFICIAL FLAG FLYING DAYS
January 1 -- New Year’s Day
January 15 -- Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday
February 12 -- Abraham Lincoln’s birthday
February 14 -- Valentine’s Day
February 18 -- President’s Day
February 22 -- George Washington’s birthday
April 21 -- Easter Sunday
May 4 -- Firefighters Memorial Day (flag at half-staff)
May 12 -- Mother’s Day
May 15 -- Peace Officer’s Day (flag at half-staff sunrise to sunset)
May 18 -- Armed Forces Day
May 27 -- Memorial Day (flag at half-staff until noon)
April 15 -- Patriot’s Day
June 14 -- Flag Day
June 16– Father’s Day
July 4 -- Independence Day
September 2 -- Labor Day
September 11 -- Patriot Day (flag at half-staff sunrise to sunset)
October 14 -- Columbus Day
November 11 -- Veterans Day
November 28 -- Thanksgiving Day
December 7 -- Pearl Harbor Day (flag at half-staff sunrise to sunset)
December 25 -- Christmas Day
**Also election days
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_info
rmation/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #177, September 2018
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
SOCIAL SECURITY AND/OR MEDICARE CHANGES
HOW A FICA ADJUSTMENT CAN HELP
SOCIAL SECURITY PROTECTION AMENDMENT
REBUILD AMERICA’S SCHOOLS ACT
MEDICARE DRUG PRICE NEGOTIATION
INCREASED SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THOSE 82+
SOCIAL SECURITY AND/OR MEDICARE CHANGES
It is estimated that Congress has taken over $3,870,000,000 from the Social Security Trust Fund. When this is increased by the estimated $1.000,000,000 which will be added to the national debt as a result of the recent tax cut legislation, Congress is looking for ways to offset the addition to the National Debt. Obviously something needs to be done about reducing the debt. Congress is looking at a number of possibilities most of which involve Social Security and/or Medicare and/or Medicaid. The reason these programs are being considered is that each involves a large number of individuals. A number of organizations are seeking to address this problem without affecting Social Security or Medicare. The urgency of the situation can be judged by the number of mailings and the number of bills which have been introduced designed to protect Social Security and Medicare. Some of these organizations are The National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), The National Seniors Council, The Senior Citizens Association of America, The Senior Citizens League, The Seniors Trust, The Seniors Coalition, and The Seniors Group for Social Security (SGSS). They are all voicing concern that Congress will try to address the National Debt by changing Social Security and/or Medicare in some way. In addition to decreasing the amount of Social Security paid to individuals, the monthly Medicare premium could be increased. All of these organizations emphasize that these are earned benefits which people have paid for over a number of years.
Editor’s Note: Congress seems to be unaware of the large number of retirees who lost their company pensions during the financial crisis in 2008. These retirees who thought they would have both a pension and Social Security income are now wholly dependent on Social Security income.
HOW A FICA ADJUSTMENT CAN HELP
Currently, high income earners have some portion of their earnings exempt from the Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) tax. That is those earning less than $128,200 have the tax deducted from their paycheck. Those earning more than $128,200 pay no tax on ant wages over that amount. This money is supposed to go into the Social Security Trust Fund; however, Congress has given IOUs to the Social Security Trust Fund which have not been paid back.
SOCIAL SECURITY PROTECTION AMENDMENT
The Seniors Group for Social Security is proposing an amendment to the Constitution which they are labeling the Social Security Protection Amendment.
- Prohibit Benefit Cuts -- Current Social Security and Medicare levels will be guaranteed by law – and exempt from cuts.
- A Guaranteed Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) which is fair and accurate and guaranteed by law
- An End to the Trust Fund “Raids”. (Congress should stop borrowing from the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for wasteful pork barrel projects.)
- And Pay Back Social Security IOUs NOW. The Trust Fund is full of IOUs that have no real cash value and only represent a promise to pay. (Congress must repay the more than $3.87 trillion it has raided from the Social Security Trust Fund.)
REBUILD AMERICA’S SCHOOLS ACT OF 2017
Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2017 (H.R.2475) was submitted to the House on May 17, 2017. It has been referred to theCommittee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Budget Committee none of which have taken any action. It currently has 116 cosponsors. The fact that it was covered in the September 16, 2018 issue of Education Week would seem to indicate that Congress might begin to act on it shortly. Obviously the teacher strikes earlier this year are having some effect on Congress.
MEDICARE DRUG PRICE NEGOTIATION
There are two pending bills in Congress which could financially help retirees. The Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2017 (H.R.242, S.41) would empower the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate better drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Passage of either of these bills into law would not impact the national debt. Current law prohibits CMS from any negotiation of prices with drug companies. Call your members of Congress and urge them to cosponsor and work towards passage of this legislation. You can do this by calling 1-866-327-8670 and asking for your Representative or Senator by name.
Representatives who have already signed on as cosponsors of this bill are Peter Welch (VT), Earl Blumenauer (OR), Matt Cartwright (PA), Kathy Castor (FL), Steve Cohen (TN), David Cicilline (RI), Elijah Cummings (MD), Peter DeFazio (OR), Rosa DeLauro (CT), Theodore Deutch (FL), Michael Doyle (PA), Keith Ellison (MN), Tulsi Gabbard (HI), Ruben Gallego (AZ), John Garamendi (CA), Raul Grijalva (AZ), Jared Huffman (CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX), Marcy Kaptur (OH), Ro Khanna (CA), James Langevin (RI), Daniel Lipinski (IL), David Loebsack (IA), Zoe Lofgren (CA), Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM), Ben Ray Lujan (NM), Stephen Lynch (MA), Sean Patrick Maloney (NY), Betty McCollum (MN), Donald Payne (NJ), Chellie Pingree (ME), Mark Pocan (WI), Jamie Raskin (MD), Francis Rooney (FL), Raul Ruiz (CA), Bobby Rush (IL), Tim Ryan (OH), John Sarbanes (MD), Janice Schakowsky (IL), Brad Sherman (CA), Louise McIntosh Slaughter (NY), Thomas Suozzi (NY), Mark Takano (CA), Peter Visclosky (IN) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL).
Senators who have already signed on as cosponsors of this bill are Amy Klobuchar (MN), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Cory Booker (NJ), Sherrod Brown (OH), Maria Cantwell (WA), Kamala Harris (CA), Tim Kaine (VA), Angus King (ME), Patrick Leahy (VT), Christopher Murphy (CT), and Jeanne Shaheen (NH).
INCREASED SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THOSE 82+
The Elder Poverty Relief Act (S.2653) also called “The Greatest Generation Benefits Act was introduced in April of this year. This bill calls for monthly increases of $85 and a four percent annual increase for those over 82 years old. Sponsored by the Greatest Generation organization, the group is in the process of gathering information on the number of citizens who would benefit from this provision by sending out surveys. With the attitude of many members of Congress ‘and the known budgetary problems, I see little chance of this passing.
============================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #175, July 2018
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
LATEST RULING ON 3D GUN PRINTING
COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR ALL ACT
STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
2016-18 U.S. FORUM COMMITTEE ELECTED
LATEST RULING ON 3D GUN PRINTING
With the advent of 3D printing in 2015, a whole range of possibilities became options. The 3D printer requires plastic to produce the 3D item. It has been used to make a prosthetic hand for someone who had lost a hand. On July 28, 2018 a Texas judge ruled that a company (Defense Distributed) had the right to make plans for plastic guns available on the Internet starting Wednesday, August 1. On July 31 three courts barred the posting on the Internet of the instructions for the plastic guns. This would include plans for AR-15 and AK-47 guns. The ruling would allow a person with a 3D printer to produce a working firearm. Because the guns can be made at home or at some place outside a manufacturing facility without regulation this ruling would allow people to obtain guns without any registration or background checks. Additionally the metal detectors now in use could not necessarily detect these firearms. Since the guns shoot regular metal bullets, it might be possible to have metal detectors programmed to detect smaller pieces of metal.
COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR ALL ACT
Computer Science for All Act of 2017 (H.R.2590) would set up grants to develop programs that could be replicated throughout the country. The bill is currently stalled in the House Education Committee.
STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
On July 26 the Strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the 21st Century Act (H.R.2353) was sent to the President to be signed into law. This piece of legislation provides for grants to make CTE creates “CTE concentrators” and “CTE participants” and defines these terms. The bill also authorizes that funds to states for 2018-20 shall not be less than what was allocated in 1998. The bill is reauthorized through 2023. For more specific information on the content of this bill go to https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2353?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.2353%22%5D%7D&r=1
2018-20 U.S. FORUM COMMITTEE ELECTED
The new U.S. Forum Committee elected at the International Convention in Austin on July 20 consists of Chair Kathy Davis from Oklahoma., Northeast Regional Representative Barbara Bostwick-Quinn from New York, Northwest Regional Representative Sally Nyhus from Minnesota, Southeast Regional Representative Karen Walton from South Carolina, and Southwest Regional Representative Daphne Cagle from California
====================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #173, MAY 2018
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
FOOD STAMPS ON THE CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR
COST OF BEING FEMALE
SOCIAL SECURITY 2100 ACT
HIGHER EDUCATION RIPOFF
ILLINOIS RATIFIES THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
SPECIAL ED RULING
FREE SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
FOOD STAMPS ON THE CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR
One section of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R.2) would “expand the work requirements and modify the eligibility rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program)” After thirteen votes the bill was recently voted down in the House. However, the bill is not dead and will almost certainly be amended before further votes are taken. To see how your representative voted on the most recent roll call vote go to http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2018/roll205.xml
COST OF BEING FEMALE
It has been shown that, on average, women are paid less than men for comparable jobs. But there is another way in which women find it necessary to pay more in taxes than men do. Have you considered how much a woman spends on menstrual supplies during her lifetime? It is estimated that women spend about $120 a year in tax on various menstrual supplies or $4,500 on taxes during a lifetime. Obviously men do not have a similar recurring expense due to their normal physical functions. At present four states have exempted menstrual supplies from sales tax otherwise referred to as the Tampon Tax. It is interesting that a number of states exempt Viagra from sales tax. For more information on this topic go to https://www.npr.org/2018/03/25/564580736/more-states-move-to-end-tampon-tax-that-s-seen-as-discriminating-against-women
Some states are also considering making diapers tax exempt.
SOCIAL SECURITY 2100 ACT
The Social Security 2100 Act (H.R.1902) would not only strengthen Social Security benefits, but it would strengthen the Social Security Trust Fund. This bill was sponsored by 173 of the 435 representatives in this session of Congress. Although all the representatives who cosponsored the bill are Democrats, the fact that the text of the bill exists means that with a change in the composition of the House, the bill should have a good chance of being brought to the floor for a vote. At that time some Republicans would almost certainly either cosponsor and/or vote for the bill. Once a piece of legislation exists, it is easily and often filed again early in a subsequent session of Congress.
HIGHER EDUCATION RIPOFF
It has been found that a number of for profit institutions allow students to pile up student loans for courses which are not useful. One way to determine if an institution fits this category is to check with a state institution of higher learning and find out if the courses are transferable.
ILLINOIS RATIFIES THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
Illinois passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) on Wednesday, May 30, 2018. With this ratification only one more state would be needed to meet the 38 state requirement for enacting ERA. The thirteen states which have not ratified ERA are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. Even if one more state ratifies ERA, the U.S. Congress would have to pass legislation to totally complete ERA being added to the Constitution; because 1979 was the deadline for the required number of states to ratify ERA. See the March Issue of the U.S. Forum Connection for a more complete explanation of the options available to Congress.
SPECIAL ED RULING
The parents of an autistic child sued their local school district for not providing instruction to “enable the child to make progress appropriate in light of child’s circumstances.” The case Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District went all the way to the Supreme Court which unanimously found it to have merit. The Supreme Court sent the case back to a lower court which had previously ruled against it. Although the lower court then ruled in favor of Endrew, a number of other similar cases brought before the courts have been ruled in favor of the school district.
FREE SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
A number of free simple science activities can be found at https://www.thepocketlab.com/support/
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
===============================================================================================
APRIL IS SEXUAL AWARENESS MONTH
Just as pink has been associated with breast cancer awareness and is observed in February, April has recently been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and is associated with the color teal. The advent of the “Me Too” movement has motivated women to speak out and become more active in politics. It is estimated that the number of women running for public office has exploded in the last couple of years. A survey of hundreds of women in the entertainment industry reported in USA Today found that 94% of the women in entertainment surveyed reported some form of sexual harassment or sexual assault.
====================================================================================================
US FORUM CONNECTION #171, MARCH 2018
IN THIS ISSUE
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT AGAIN IN THE NEWS
LAWS AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS
GUN DISCUSSION
APRIL IS SEXUAL AWARENESS MONTH -message at the heading of this page.
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
In this session of Congress the Paycheck Fairness Act (S.819, H.R.1869) has been filed in both houses of Congress. It would put in place methods for determining whether an employer is granting equal pay for equal work based on sex, race or other demographics. Both bills have been sent to committee and, as of now, they have not been acted on further. Despite the fact that currently 48 states have laws against pay discrimination based on an employee’s sex, Congress has not passed a law mandating equal pay. The two states which have not passed laws banning pay discrimination are Alabama and Mississippi.
Another piece of legislation which is related to pay is The Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act (H.R.4827) which has 100 cosponsors. This legislation would pay federal workers for days missed due to a government shutdown. This bill also has been referred to committee and not yet reported out; however, it could be reported out of committee swiftly and acted on. It is presumably being held until the end of the session. In the event of further shut downs during this legislative session the bill would cover all government shut downs.
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT AGAIN IN THE NEWS
Nevada recently passed the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Only two more states would be needed to gain the 38 states (¾ of states) necessary to ratify the amendment for it to take effect. However, the deadline for states to ratify the amendment was 1979. There are currently two separate legislative actions which would affect the amendment. One strategy to handle the Equal Rights Amendment is by joint resolutions (S.J.Res.5 and H.J.Res.53) in both houses which would remove the deadline for states to ratify the amendment in which case only two more states would be needed to ratify the amendment. The other strategy by which the Equal Rights Amendment is being addressed is by a restatement of the amendment as though it were a new Constitutional Amendment which would require ratification by three fourths of the states (S.J.Res.6 and H.J.Res.33).
It should be noted is that once a state has ratified an amendment to the Constitution that amendment vote cannot be rescinded. However, if this second option is successfully pursued by Congress, this could be considered as a different amendment requiring ratification by even those states which ratified the previous amendment. This might be a case for the Supreme Court. The states which have not yet ratified the Equal Rights Amendment are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. The Illinois legislature is considering the Equal Rights Amendment as originally stated with SJRCA4. in Illinois’ current legislative session. Assuming Illinois ratifies the amendment, only one more state would be needed to ratify the original ERA for it to take effect.
The Equal Rights Amendment statesSection 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
(This information taken from the web site http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/ ) Other web sites on the topic have similar or identical wording.
LAWS AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Laws are passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President and are enforceable until Congress passes legislation which supersedes them. An exception to this is a law which is passed which has a time limit. The most familiar example of a law with a time limit is the Elementary, and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) which is a part of legislation which requires periodic reauthorization. During George W. Bush’s administration the renewal of this legislation was referred to as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). During the Obama administration the next version of this was the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This later version of ESEA is causing some problems now because there was a change of administrations before the law was fully implemented, and the new Secretary of Education interpreted the law differently than her predecessor.
Another category of regulation is an executive order. This is issued by the President and requires no approval by any other body. An example of this is Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) which President Obama issued in June 2012 and which would prevent noncitizens who were brought to this country as children from being deported. (These people are also referred to as “Dreamers.”) Shortly after he took office, President Trump used an executive order to rescind DACA. This would allow deportation of the Dreamers. (Note: The Dreamers who signed up under the original Obama executive order had to give personal information such as address and relatives. Since the relatives of many of the Dreamers are illegals, this could result in the rest of their families being deported also.) The executive order could be nullified if Congress passed legislation dealing with the problem, and the President signed this legislation. Alternately President Trump could sign another executive order to exempt the Dreamers from deportation. So far Congress has not passed any legislation which would rescind the executive order.
GUN DISCUSSION
One of the first pieces of legislation which was passed after President Trump took office is Public Law No: 115-8 (02/28/2017). The history of this piece of legislation is that it was introduced in the House of Representatives on January 30, 2017 becoming H.J.Res.40 which nullifies a current law prohibiting sale of a firearm to a person who has been adjudicated as mentally defective thus it would allow the purchase and possession of firearms by a person who is deemed mentally defective. The bill passed the House on February 1, 2017, passed the Senate on February 3, 2017, was sent to President Trump on February 6 and was signed into law on February 14, 2017. To see how your Representative voted go to http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2017/roll072.xml. The vote in the Senate was strictly along party lines with all Republicans voting “yea” and all Democrats and the two Independents voting “nay.” There was one abstention. Thus a person adjudicated to be mentally defective can buy firearms.
President Trump recently signed an executive order which directed the Justice Department to add bump stocks to the list of banned devices which cause guns to mimic the action of machine guns.
In the April 2, 2018 issue of Time magazine some proposed actions which would help ameliorate the gun violence problem were offered. The first one was to make gun ownership similar to a driver’s license requiring both a written test and a demonstration of proficiency [presumably following some instruction in the use of a firearm].
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #169, JANUARY 2018
IN THIS ISSUE
NLS DEADLINE APPROACHES
CAREGIVERS ACT
CHIP FUNDING
TITLE IX
NEW PUBLICATION “SHE PERSISTED”
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
NLS DEADLINE APPROACHES
The deadline for submitting a regular registration form to attend the National Legislative Seminar without a late fee is February 10, 2018. The registration form can be found at http://www.usforumdkg.org/uploads/4/4/6/6/44667559/nls_registration_2018_updated2.pdf. The main issues which will be addressed at the seminar are advocacy, violence against women, women’s health care, youth suicide awareness and prevention as well as human trafficking.
CAREGIVERS ACTS
The RAISE Family Caregivers Act (H.R.3759, S.1028) which was introduced in both houses last year was signed by the President on January 22, 2018 after which it became Public Law No. 115-119. This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and make publicly available a National Family Caregiving Strategy that identifies recommended actions for recognizing and supporting family caregivers in a manner that reflects their diverse needs. Also HHS is to convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise the department on recognizing and supporting family caregivers. The council terminates after three years. There are several other bills dealing with caregiving for categories such as those with military injuries and Alzheimers patients. The Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2017 (S.1255) would give tax credit to caregivers to offset remuneration lost from job changes and other expenses incurred as result of caregiving in order to provide care to individuals handicapped either by illness such as Altheimers or severe injury. This bill has been referred to committee in the Senate. The Public Law 115-119 is a step in the right direction, but it does not provide any financial relief for caregivers.
CHIP FUNDING
Recently Congress seems to be close to an agreement which would extend the CHIP program for five or six years. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is designed to fill the gap between low income groups that qualify for Medicaid and more affluent families who can afford health insurance. It is estimated that about 9 million children get health coverage under this program. Funding for this program is now being discussed in Congress which should soon reach agreement on a bill to be sent to the President for his signature. The current funding is due to expire March 31, but many states will run out of funds prior to that date or have already run out of money.
TITLE IX
The recent revelations about the sexual harassment involving the women’s gymnastics team at Michigan State University as well as the National Gymnastics team which represented the USA at the Olympics should be a wake-up call for all of us. Although the women and girls had complained for several years to parents and school administrators about what was happening to them, no action was taken. The legislation which should have protected these females is Title IX. As of January 31, 265 females have lodged complaints against Larry Nassar. Complaints have officially been lodged against Nassar and dismissed since 2004. This case illustrates why complaints by girls and young women should be taken seriously and investigated. It has been estimated that only about 20% of sexual assaults are reported.
In the past colleges and universities have been loath to tackle sexual assault on their campuses; because they feared the bad publicity would affect their enrollment. What has happened at Michigan State University will almost certainly lead to the uncovering of similar situations at other institutions of higher learning. Recently the Texas Attorney General has opened an investigation into what has been going on at the International Gymnastics Camp in Texas. Representative Susan Brooks and Senator Dianne Feinstein are currently working on legislation to address these abuses.
NEW PUBLICATION “SHE PERSISTED”
There is a new publication from Newsweek which is listed on Amazon as a book. It deals with women groundbreakers from Deborah Sampson (1782), Sacagawea (1804), Elizabeth Bennett (1813) and Harriet Tubman (1849) to Senator Larissa Waters, Yoshiko Shinohara and Senator Elizabeth Warren (2017) and includes Saudi Arabia allowing women to drive (2017). She Persisted also looks at movements such as the Women’s March, “Me Too” and “The Resistance.”
****************************************************************************************************
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #164, SEPTEMER 2017
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP) EXPIRES
PRESCRIPTION DRUG LEGISLATION
INTELLIGENT TUTORS
RECOMMENDED IMMUNIZATIONS
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP) EXPIRES
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expired September 30. It provided health care for 9,000,000 children and was not renewed by Congress.
ACTION: Call your congressional delegation and ask them to renew the CHIP program. Contact your senator and representative by phone at 1-866-327-8670 or by email through congress.gov.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG LEGISLATION
Several bills all of which originated in the Senate have been introduced and referred to committee. These are
The Improving Access To Affordable Prescription Drugs Act (S.771)
The Prescription Drug and Health Improvement Act of 2017 (S.348)
The Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2017 (S.41)
The Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act (S.469)
The Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2017 (S.1688), and
The Making Pharmaceutical Markets More Competitive Act (S.1115).
Among other things, these bills
1) provide for negotiating prices of Medicare prescription drugs,
2) encourage importing affordable, safe drugs,
3) create a prize fund to encourage the development of new drugs which are effective against bacterial infections, I(Editor’s note. An increasing number of infections are becoming unresponsive to current antibacterial drugs.)
4) provide public funding for clinical trials,
5) reward innovative new drug development
The responsibility for enforcement of these objectives would be given to the Secretary of Health and Human Services who is to report to Congress every six months beginning no later than three years after the enactment these bills into law.
None of these bills currently has a summary version listed on line at congress.gov. You can view the complete bills at congress.gov.
(Editor’s note: Importation of drugs would bring down the price of drugs manufactured in the United States via competition.)
INTELLIGENT TUTORS
Traditional computer learning programs have a fixed set of questions and answers usually in a linear progression. A new generation of computer programs based on concept mapping and other education tools, encourage student mental organization that can be used to enhance the learner’s thinking skills. These computer systems are now coming onto the market. Each of these systems provide an array of answers which are developed and displayed depending on the student’s level of learning as assessed by the program. It is emphasized that these systems are not intended to replace teachers but rather to enable students to successfully handle problems not previously encountered. Currently there are several intelligent computer systems available. These are ALEKS (for Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces), Cognitive Tutor, and IBM’s Watson initiative which is still in the development stage. More information about these and other computer-based learning systems can be found atwww.edweek.org/go/futurework-tutor.
RECOMMENDED IMMUNIZATIONS
The following immunizations are recommended for those over 50. Shingles,
hepatitis B, pneumonia, Tdap, and flu. The flu virus seems to be making the rounds earlier than normal this year.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
The National Legislative Seminar will be held in Washington, DC March 18-21, 2018. The registration form can be found at nls_registration_2018_updated.pdf.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #164, AUGUST 2017
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM FOUNDATION FUNDING
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
PROPOSED EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FUNDING CUTS
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
FREE RESOURCES
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM FOUNDATION FUNDING
The Public Broadcasting System Foundation (PBSF) which is funded in large part by the federal government has systematically had its funding cut over the years. There is currently a move to totally eliminate federal funding for PBSF and privatize the system. You may have noticed that your local PBS stations have been spending more and more time on fund raising activities and some popular programs have been eliminated due to funding cuts over the years. PBS provides some of the most educational preschool programs of any system. Additionally many programs are used in classroom instruction. You may want to contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives to inform them of your use of PBS programs for classroom instruction and urge them to continue federal funding of PBS programs. You can contact your legislators either through the 1-866-327-8670 toll free switchboard or by email clicking on “members” at the top of the initial screen at Congress.gov. You might want to mention specific programs which you use in classroom instruction.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
The Prescription Drug Monitoring Act of 2017 (S.778) requires any state receiving grant funds as part of the controlled substance prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) to share its data with other states. Any state which does not comply and share its data may have its funds withheld by either the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Additionally the Department of Justice is charged with maintaining an easily accessible information database.
PROPOSED EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CHANGES
The new Secretary of Education is proposing a 9.2% ($13.5 billion) cut for the Department of Education. This would eliminate $2 billion for teacher training and Title II and $1.1 billion for after school and enrichment programs. She is advocating for a 50% increase for federally funded charter schools. 1) This would reduce enforcement of antidiscrimination laws. 2) If schools are not federally funded they are not subject to Title IX rules. [Title IX is effective because it withholds federal funding from institutions which are not in compliance.] 3) Because special needs students are more expensive to educate due to the smaller class size and additional expense needed for them, nonpublic schools are not inclined to admit these students which increase the per student cost leaving them in the public education system with no increase in the per student funding. 4) Another downside of charter schools is that they allow more unlicensed teachers in the classroom along with reduced oversight by state agencies. 5) Finally, if large numbers of teachers leave the state-funded system, state retirement programs will be negatively impacted as fewer teachers pay into the state retirement system.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
The National Legislative Seminar will be held in Washington, DC March 18-21, 2018. The registration form can be found at nls_registration_2018_updated.pdf.
FREE RESOURCES
There are a number of free resources designed to help teachers cope with a variety of education topics. Lessons about Labor Day can be found at http://www.labor-studies.org/featured-resources/labor-history-lesson-plans.
Blue Apprentice Elementary Science game is aimed at students in grades 1-6. It can be accessed at https://goo.gl/xBFywP
Teaching Tolerance offers some free classroom materials and website access along with an accompanying free webinar. Links can be found at http://www.tolerance.org/.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-866-327-8670[this is a toll free number]. You can email your senator or representative via a link at Congress.gov. Another way of contacting your senator is by using a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #163, JULY 2017
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION STATUS
AFFORDABLE MEDICINES ACT
SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION ACT
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
FREE SOLAR ECLIPSE RESOURCE
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION STATUS
The most recent version of the health care bill failed in the Senate. For a bill to be sent to the President for his signature, an identical version must be agreed upon by both the House and the Senate. The strategy with the final Senate health care bill was to pass something which would be sent to a joint House/Senate conference committee. This committee would make changes in both the House and Senate bills that could then be taken back to the House and the Senate for an approval vote. Some senators, feared that the stripped down bill, would be voted on and approved by the House without being sent to a conference committee. This possibility was avoided when the Senate did not pass the bill.
AFFORDABLE MEDICINES ACT
The Improving Access To Affordable Prescription Drugs Act (S.771/H.R.1776) has a number of cosponsors in both houses. The bills would allow the Secretary of Human Services to negotiate prescription drug prices for Medicare. The bills would also allow the Secretary of Human Services to regulate importation of prescription drugs manufactured outside the U.S. Additionally, the bills establish a prize fund to encourage development of prescription drugs which would be overseen by the National Institutes of Health. More complete information about this legislation can be found at
https://www.citizen.org/sites/default/files/improving-access-to-affordable-prescription-drugs-act-summary-short.pdf
SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION ACT
The social security Expansion Act (S.427/HR1114) would phase out the earnings FICA tax cap on the wages of people making more than $127,200 a year. It is estimated that this would substantially extend the life of the Social Security Trust Fund, and it would also increase the average Social Security benefit by about $780 per year ($65 per month). Some of the organizations supporting this legislation are the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, The Alliance for Retired Americans and The Seniors Trust.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR (NLS) SCHEDULED
The National Legislative Seminar will be held in Washington, DC March 18-21, 2018. The registration form can be found at nls_registration_2018_updated.pdf
FREE SOLAR ECLIPSE RESOURCE
Big Kid Science has an educational app which tells when, where and what you’ll see on Monday, August 21 when the solar eclipse occurs. The site explains what can be seen/experienced. Because the eclipse will occur during daylight hours and at a time when most schools are in session this should be a unique, free experience for students
=====================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #161, MAY 2017
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HEALTH CARE UNDER CONSIDERATION
NET NEUTRALITY
HOW WOMEN PREVAIL
DKG GIRL SCOUT PATCH
REGIONAL CONFERENCE FORUM SESSIONS
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
HEALTH CARE UNDER CONSIDERATION
In this session of Congress major changes in the law regulating health care costs are being considered. A proposed health care law has passed the House of Representatives (H.R.1628) and is currently being considered in the Senate. The Senate is writing a separate version of the law. Because a number of topics in either bill directly affect only women, it is disturbing that all thirteen members of the Senate Committee are male, and Senator Susan Collins who has had extensive experience with health care legislation in the past was not named to the committee. Some of the medical conditions which have been mentioned as possibly being considered to be preexisting conditions include maternity and C-sections neither of which would affect males. You can view the bill at https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1628 and find out how your representative voted on it at http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2017/roll256.xml (Note: Representative Newhouse did not vote.)
NET NEUTRALITY
As the Internet was being developed, the Internet providers gave some preferred customers (mainly businesses) faster downloads. A few years ago the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began enforcing “net neutrality.” This basically means that all Internet providers must provide the same download speeds to all subscribers. Recently this has been the subject of debate at the FCC, and that agency is considering abandoning enforcement of net neutrality. The consequence of this is that some Internet users may experience slower Internet downloads. As a result of this proposed change in policy a group of Internet providers has taken out an ad in the Washington Post opposing this change. The companies which sponsored the ad are Altice USA, Armstong, BOYCOM, Buckeye Broadband, Cable ONE, Charter Communications, Comcast Corporation, Cox Communications, Eagle Communications, GCI, MCTV, Mediacom Communications, MetroCast Comunications, Midco, RCN Grande, Service Electric Cablevision, Shentel, Sjoberg’s Inc., TDS, Vast Broadband, and Vyve Broadband.
HOW WOMEN PREVAIL
With the world championship in women’s hockey scheduled for the end of March, the women on the team asked for an increase in salary as well as being provided equipment. There was a huge differential between the salaries of the male and female hockey players. The women also threatened to boycott the World Championship games. USA Hockey, the governing body of hockey, decided to replace the entire team with female college hockey players even though this would result in the strong possibility of losing the World Championship and deny the women who had won the right to play in the championship game the right to defend their title. The professional players undertook telephone calls to about 500 female college players urging them not to serve as replacements for the professional team. The college players did not take the offer to act as replacements, and the women won a pay increase, business class airfare, disability insurance and money to support youth leagues. The youth leagues would train the next generation of women hockey players. The U.S. Women’s National Team went on to win its fourth consecutive International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship. This was the team’s seventh win in eight years.
DKG GIRL SCOUT PATCH
Information on the Girl Scout patch is available at https://www.girlscouts.org. Nita Scott at DKG Headquarters in Austin is knowledgeable about this. Her number is 888-762-4685 extension 113.
REGIONAL CONFERENCE FORUM SESSIONS
Northwest Region, Spearfish, North Dakota, 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM on June 29, 2017
Southwest Region, Honolulu, Hawaii, 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM on July 5, 2017
Northeast Region, Windsor, Ontario, 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM on July 13, 2017
Southeast Region, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 10 AM - noon on July 21, 2017
=============================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #157, JANUARY 2017
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
SUPREME COURT & AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
Currently the main order of business in the Senate is approving the President’s cabinet appointments. The Constitution states that certain appointments are to be made with the advice and consent of the Senate. The two main cabinet appointments which have not yet been approved by the Senate are the Secretary of Education and the Attorney General. If you wish to let your senator know your opinion of those nominated for either of these positions you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. The call volume is currently so high that you may not be able to get through using the toll free number. Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available at https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
SUPREME COURT & AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
When sixth grader Ehlena Fry who suffers from cerebral palsy entered kindergarten in 2009, the school district (Napoleon Community Schools) denied her the ability to bring her service dog into the school. The district ruled that an adult could perform the tasks with which the dog helped her. The dog which was trained to open doors and pick up items, among other things, was designed to give her a measure of independence so she would not have to rely on others to help. The family is seeking monetary damages from the school rather than pursuing a lengthy administrative remedy process. Although the school eventually allowed her to bring the dog to school after two and a half years, they placed so many restrictions on the dog that Ehlena’s parents decided to homeschool her. The family later located a school which allowed her to have the dog at the school. At issue is whether the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which would allow the dog to accompany her to school or whether the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which would allow the family to sue the school would take precedence. A ruling on the matter is expected later this year.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
A generic version of the EpiPen has recently become available. Since this is the delivery system rather than the drug, this gets around patent protection.
===================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #155, NOVEMBER 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
EXTENDING SOCIAL SECURITY
EXPANDING SOCIAL SECURITY
ADJUSTING 2016 SOCIAL SECURITY
MEDICARE DEADLINE
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
There are several bills in the current session of Congress which address Social Security. Information on these is given below. We urge you to contact your Senator and Representative and urge him/her to support these bills. At least urge support for the first-mentioned bill (H.R.1391) To contact these legislators, either call the Congressional Switchboard toll free at 1-866-327-8670or go to Congress.gov, click on “members” at the top opf the screen. Then under “How to Contact Your Member” click on either “Senators” or “Representatives” and select the one who represents you. These provide a means of contacting the person by email. State that you hope he/she will vote for bill #___.
EXTENDING SOCIAL SECURITY
The most wide sweeping of these bills are H.R.2078 and H.R.1391 which would repeal the cap on taxes on employment and self-employment compensation. Currently those making in excess of $118,500 pay no taxes on remuneration over that limit. Removing the cap would extend Social Security for many more years. H.R.1391 would gradually increase Social Security benefits about 2% which would increase retirement income about $300 per retiree, it would raise the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) using actual cost-of-living expenses (this year there was no COLA even though the cost of living increased slightly), and it would cut taxes for working seniors (those whose retirement income is inadequate to meet actual expenses). [Note: Some school systems, retirement funds and pensions were adversely affected and pensions were reduced as a because of the recession. This resulted in some retirees not getting the retirement income they were expecting, and they were forced to seek supplemental employment after retirement to cover their living expenses.] Removing the cap on Social Security taxes would increase money in the Social Security Trust Fund due to larger amounts paid in by the extremely wealthy.
EXPANDING SOCIAL SECURITY
Another bill which would impact retirees is S.731 the Social Security Expansion Act. This bill amends Title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to: (1) increase the primary insurance amount for all eligible beneficiaries, beginning in 2021, (2) use the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to calculate the Cost Of Living; (3) increase the special minimum primary insurance amount for lifetime low earners based on years worked.
ADJUSTING 2016 SOCIAL SECURITY
Because there was no cost of living increase in Social Security in 2016 a Senate bill (S.2251) would provide a one-time payment of $581. This would apply to those receiving Social Security for that year only.
MEDICARE DEADLINE
The deadline for selecting a Medicare plan is December 7. A retiree can get help in selecting a plan by going to Medicare.gov. It would be wise to check other sources for Part D plans such as SilverScriptonline.com or www.MedicareSolutions.com. Once you have a Part D plan check the information book to find which pharmacies give better discounts.
====================================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #154, OCTOBER 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HOW THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WORKS
HOW THIRD PARTIES CAN EFFECT AN ELECTION
NEW STROKE INDICATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
HOW THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WORKS
Elections in the USA are not determined by the popular vote or only indirectly. Each state is assigned a certain number of electors based on the number of U.S. Senators plus the number of U.S. Representatives that the state has. The 23rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives the District of Columbia three electors. Except for Maine and Nebraska, all electors from each state cast their vote for the candidate who got the majority of the popular votes cast in that state. Maine has three electors and allows one of the three to vote for a different candidate. Nebraska is allowed to split its electoral votes. There are currently 538 electors. After the popular vote is cast, the electors from each state cast their votes. In order to win a candidate must get a majority of the electoral votes or 270 electoral votes (538/2 + 1).
If a third party candidate receives enough popular votes to earn electoral votes and the election is very close, so that the results of the votes of the electors do not give either of the two major party candidates 270 votes in the electoral college, then the members of the U.S. House of Representatives vote with each state delegation having only one vote. Regardless of how many Representatives a state has the entire delegation can only cast one vote. The candidate who gets the majority of votes in the House is elected President. If no candidate gets a majority of votes in the House, the Senate votes with each senator having one vote and the candidate with a majority of the votes in the Senate becomes President.
HOW THIRD PARTIES CAN EFFECT AN ELECTION
The election of 2000 is an example of the effect a third party candidate can have on the final outcome of an election. That election was decided in the state of Florida where Ralph Nader the third party candidate received 97,484 votes and there was a virtual tie in the popular vote between Gore and Bush. In that election Al Gore received a majority of the national popular vote; however, George Bush was elected President based on the Florida vote. In Florida only 537 votes separated Bush and Gore. Because it was conjectured that Nader’s votes were largely from voters who would have voted for Gore if Nader had not been in the race, his presence on the ballot was felt to have affected the final outcome of the election. The election was finally decided via a Supreme Court ruling about how the ballots were validated due to ballots which had “hanging chads.” Some of the punch out type ballots did not completely sever the link between the ballot and the punched out piece (chad) indicating a vote. After the election some areas of Florida changed from the punch-type ballots to electronic touchscreen voting for future elections.
NEW STROKE INDICATOR
In the past there have been three recognized indicators to determine if a person is having a stroke. Recently a fourth indicator has been found. It is the tongue. When the person having a stroke sticks out his/her tongue, the tongue will go to the side rather than straight out.
Recognizing the early sign of a stroke is very important. Neurologists say that when the stroke is diagnosed within three hours, the effects of the stroke can be totally reversed. The three traditional signs of a stroke utilize the letters STR. S is for smile, T is for talk (repeat a simple sentence) and R is raise both arms. If the individual is unable to perform any of these tasks, he/she is likely having a stroke and needs to get to a doctor and the emergency room as soon as possible. Remember the first three hours are critical in minimizing the long term effects of a stroke.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #152, AUGUST 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE:
1) CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE LAW
2) MAKE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE
3) THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
1) CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE LAW
In Louisiana a lawsuit has been filed by the Louisiana Association of Educators over public funds being diverted to charter schools. In Washington state the state supreme court ruled that the state’s charter schools were not entitled to state funds and the state’s charter school law was unconstitutional as a result of a suit brought by the League of Women Voters. In Mississippi the Southern Poverty Law Center brought suit about the funding of charter schools which diverts tax dollars from public schools to charter schools. Current Mississippi law provides that local tax revenue can be diverted from funds designated for public schools to support local charter schools. In New York several lawsuits pertaining to charter schools are currently being litigated. These range from attempts to gain funding to a suit about denial of mandated services for special education students. In Texas charter schools are not governed by state law as to minimum salaries, class size, or enrollment but are still subject to state accountability requirements. In Texas the lawsuits seek to gain local funding for charter schools.
2)MAKE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE
The upcoming election will greatly affect our nation. Many states have put in laws in the last few years which have changed what is required to vote. Some states and or areas have purged the voting roles or now require valid identification to cast a vote. If you are not sure about whether or not you are a registered voter, you should check with the local person in charge of registering voters.
3) THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
The first debate of three official debates is scheduled for Monday, September 26 at Hofstra University. The only candidates who will be allowed to participate are those who poll 15% or more. For this first debate it is likely that only Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will participate.
Another interaction between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will be “The Commander-In-Chief Forum.” It will deal with national security, military affairs and veteran’s issues. It is sponsored by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America with many questioners being military veterans and active members of the military in addition to network news correspondents. This forum will air in prime time September 5 on NBC and MSNBC. Check your local news outlet for the time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #151, JULY 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE:
1) FORUM APPROVES RESOLUTION ON BULLYING
2) RESOLUTION TEXT
3) SOCIAL SECURITY COST OF LIVING
4) EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT REPORTING
5) 2016-18 U.S. FORUM COMMITTEE ELECTED
1) FORUM APPROVES RESOLUTION ON BULLYING
The U.S. Forum session at the Nashville International Convention approved a resolution on bullying and cyberbullying. The text is given below. We urge each of you to contact your U.S. Senator and Representative and express your concern about this problem asking him/her to support legislation to control this national problem which has resulted in the death of a number of children in our nation. You can contact members of Congress as well as their staff toll free by requesting to be connected to their office through the Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670.
2) RESOLUTION TEXT
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying in schools is an increasingly pervasive problem with statistics showing one in four U.S. students is bullied on a regular basis which negatively impacts the right of students to live and learn in a safe environment without fear, and has negative lifelong consequences for those who are targets and for those who are bullies; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber bullying incidents have increased through use of social media (leading to 4,400 adolescent suicides per year), suicidal tendencies (for every death there are 100 attempts), and severe depression (14% of high schoolers consider suicide); and Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying U.S. statistics show 30% of students report they are a bullying victim, a bully, or both with 43% of those students reporting they are bullied on-line; and Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying others and being the target of bullies are considered risk factors for youth violence by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and other relevant organizations; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying behavior that goes unchallenged creates a risk of bullies becomingviolent adults, engaging in domestic violence and child abuse; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying behavior is a topic with which many parents are unaware of the severity of the problem and, therefore, neglect talking about it with their children; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying behavior is unchallenged by adults, as in 85% of bullying cases (statistics gathered from annual school reporting to state departments) no interventions or efforts tostop it are made and with some school personnel viewing bullying as a harmless rite of passage thatis best ignored, opens the door for more harassment from bullies; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying has created a situation whereby 160,000 students nationwide miss school every day out of fear of bullies; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying attracts passive participants who are affected by hostile acts and in turn encourage bullying by creating an audience, become desensitized to cruelty, learn to imitate bullying behavior and become bullies themselves or may become fearful of their own safety, adding to feelings of insecurity; and
Whereas, Bullying/Cyber Bullying in the adult work place is prevalent and is often unreported creating a setting of fear which contributes to health issues, diminished performance, and loss of time for employer and employee; therefore, be it
Resolved. That the key women educator organization, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, U.S. Forum members support a federal law with provisions for policies and programs that address the prevention, intervention, and elimination of bullying/cyber bullying;
Resolved, That the key women educator organization, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, U.S Forum members promote messages of bullving/cvber bullying prevention utilizing educational literature, programs and projects for students, school personnel, and parents to establish an acceptance of zero tolerance for bullying behavior and a message that the bullying behavior will not be tolerated any time or any place;
Resolved, That the key women educator organization, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, U.S. Forum members work with agencies, organizations, and legislators in a national effort to inform the general public about the risks and costs of bullying/cyber bullying for both the bully and the target, as well as those who witness bullying, to bring about a change in societal attitudes toward bullying and eliminate the suicides of those subjected to bullying.
Resolved, That the key women educator organization, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, U.S. Forum members contact members of Congress to offer support and expertise to develop a national bullying/cyber bullying prevention law.
3) SOCIAL SECURITY COST OF LIVING
There are currently two bills concerning the Cost of Living (COLA) increases for Social Security recipients which are pending in Congress. They are H.R. 3588 which would guarantee a 3% annual Cost of Living increase for retirees on Social Security, and H.R. 5295 introduced in May 2016 which indexes Cost of Living increases to the annual income of retirees. This ranges from 1-2% for those with incomes of $48,000 for an individual or $20,000 for a couple, 3-4% for an individual with an income of $18,000 or a couple with an income of $20,000. To get more specific information on these bills go to www.Congress.gov and type in the bill number in the box to the left of the magnifying glass emblem.
4) EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT (ESSA) REPORTING
The new education law requests reporting of some specific data that was not previously required which involves how schools spend money. Districts are required to report how much money each school gets and the sources from which the money came. This includes money from the district, the state and the federal government. Academic data, graduation rate and test results are also requested. One anticipated outcome of this data collection and reporting is that each school will use the data it reports to improve the educational outcomes of students in the school.
5) 2016-18 U.S. FORUM COMMITTEE ELECTED
The new U.S. Forum Committee elected at the International Convention in Nashville on July 7 are Chair Carmela DeMarco from New Jersey, Northeast Regional Representative Barbara Bostwick-Quinn from New York, Northwest Regional Representative Darlene Cook from Oregon, Southeast Regional Representative Candace Martin from Arkansas, and Southwest Regional Representative Kathy Davis from Oklahoma.
****************************************************************************************************
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #150, JUNE 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
GOVERNMENT PENSION OFFSET/WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROFIT (GPO/WEP)
GPO/WEP EXPLANATION
CAREER TECH RENEWALGUN SAFETY
PASSWORD SAFETY
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
GOVERNMENT PENSION OFFSET/WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROFIT (GPO/WEP)
The GPO/WEP law which is currently on the books adversely impacts many retired educators in the states of Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas. GPO/WEP affects retirees when two or more pensions have been earned by a person or a person and his/her spouse from any two of three systems. The three systems are Federal Government workers retirement (this includes military), Social Security retirement and a non-Social Security retirement system (usually a state system with no Social Security involvement). Spousal benefits can be reduced considerably when two earned retirement systems are involved. An example is someone who has a monthly $600 pension from a government job and is eligible for $500 a month widow’s benefit from Social Security. Two-thirds of the Social Security widow’s benefit will be subtracted and the person will only get $100 spousal benefit. At the time when this legislation was passed it referred to the dual pension benefits as “double dipping.” In fact many retirees who are affected were not getting alarge retirement income due to either having worked at a low paying job or having worked for a relatively short period of time in one or both jobs. Women are most likely to be impacted by these laws because they didn’t work when their children were young.
The current bill in Congress (H.R. 711) is supposed to help with the monetary losses currently experienced by some retirees by causing the pensions of other retirees previously unaffected to be reduced in order to make up for lost revenue from those currently subject to GPO/WEP . Retirees most likely to be affected are educators, military retirees, policemen and firemen. The law currently proposed is problematic and would cause financial hardship for even more retirees. The objections to this bill are 1) It does not address the Government Pension Offset (GPO) at all. 2) It will widen the impact of WEP so more individuals are impacted. 3) It eliminates the exemption from GPO/WEP for those with 30 years or more in the system. and 4) It would pay for enforcement of GPO by reducing pensions of retirees previously unaffected. Passage of the bill could result in over 10 times more people losing some benefits compared to those who would gain benefits.
For over a decade DKG and the U.S. Forum have strongly supported the Social Security Fairness Act. The current version is the Social Security Fairness Act of 2015 (S.1651/H.R. 973), which would fully repeal the GPO and WEP.
To let your congressional representatives know how you feel about these bills either call toll free through the Congressional Switchboard (1-866-327-8670) and ask for your Senator and Representative or email them by going to www.Congress.gov and clicking on “members” at the top of the screen. If you are in one of the states listed above and are still teaching, it is to your advantage to find out how your retirement income and that of your spouse will be affected by these laws which were passed in the mid 1980s.
GPO/WEP EXPLANATION
For a more detailed explanation of GPO and WEP you can go to
http://www.wiserwomen.org/index.php?id=256&page=Government_Pens
http://www.massretirees.com/wepgpo-explained
CAREER TECH RENEWAL
The “Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act” (H.R. 5587), bill currently being considered by the House Education and the Workforce Committee would reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career Technical Education Act of 2006. This bill will extend career and technical education to the middle grades and it will also allow for dual high school and post secondary credit for the courses affected by this bill. The bill contains provisions to help special needs students as well as English language learners. The way in which funding is provided may, however, lead to a loss of resources at the local level.
GUN SAFETY
Following the Orlando shootings, there has been more than usual action by the U.S. Congress addressing gun violence. Once Congress returns to Washington from the Independence Day break, more action will occur. Possibly there will be another sit-in in the House. The Senate is trying to work out some sort of compromise. No matter what you think about guns and gun legislation in the country, this is the time when some sort of resolution is going to happen. This is the time for each of us who feel strongly about guns and gun rights need to contact out U. S. Representative and our U. S. Senator and let them know what we think. To do this either call toll free through the Congressional Switchboard (1-866-327-8670) and ask for your Senator and Representative or email him or her by clicking on “members” at the top of the screen at www.Congress.gov
PASSWORD SAFETY
With more and more computer hacking occurring lately, users are forced to create new and different passwords for various online activities. It is recommended that one use different passwords and that they are changed fairly frequently. This makes it more likely that a person will forget a password. One way of protecting passwords is to enter them on a flash drive which is rarely connected to your computer.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #149, MAY 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
IN THIS ISSUE
STRONG START FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN ACT
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
REFINANCING STUDENT LOANS
PROGRAM IDEA
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
STRONG START FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN ACT
The Strong Start for America’s Children Act (H.R.2411; S.1380) would provide matching grants to states through the Department of Education. States would issue subgrants to local education providers to fund high quality prekindergarten programs for three and four year old children from low income families. Up to 15% of the state grant money could be applied to education programs for infants and toddlers from low income families. The bill would amend the Head Start Act to include more children in early learning experiences and would direct funding to providers of special education services for infants and toddlers.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Several Executive Orders have been issued by the Obama administration. Although these can effect immediate change, they are only effective until another President is inaugurated. At that time the new President may rescind Executive Orders of the previous administration. The only binding long term legal change is legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. For example, the Executive Order dealing with “Dreamers” allows a group of illegal immigrants to avoid deportation; however, a new president can rescind the order. In that case those who have taken advantage of the previous administration’s Executive Order may find themselves among the first to be deported because they have self-identified as illegals when they sought to take advantage of the previous administration’s Executive Order.
REFINANCING STUDENT LOANS
There are a number of bills pending which would allow refinancing of student loans. S.3008, H.R.5274, H.R.3786, H.R.3634, and H.R.3751 to name a few. Unfortunately, each of these bills was read and referred to committee where it languishes with no action being taken. Since this is an election year there are not many more days in which Congress will be in session as the members go home to campaign for reelection. Therefore, the likelihood of any of these bills being passed is small.
PROGRAM IDEA
To find out what is going on in classrooms in your area, consider inviting two or more first year teachers to describe what their classroom experience has been. You will be interested in what teaching materials they do or do not have available, what their classrooms have or what they lack, and how you and your chapter can help. Many state legislatures are cutting funds to education the result of which is reductions in staff, supplies and activities for students and teachers. Our chapter had such a program in the fall of 2015 which was extremely informative. The two new teachers invited to present our program were initiated into our chapter this spring.
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670[this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #148, APRIL 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
EDUCATION BILL (ESSA) SUMMARY
ESSA PROBLEMS
RETROACTIVE DIPLOMAS
REVISED GED STANDARDS
SOME WOMEN INVENTORS
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
EDUCATION BILL (ESSA) SUMMARY
To see a summary of the new education bill go tohttp://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/every-student-succeeds-act/index.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news1-RM. I am concerned by two facts. (1) There will be a new U.S. President in 2017, and (2) there will probably be a new Secretary of Education in 2017. With the new law taking effect in the 2017-18 school year, will there be adequate time to see that all states have their plans in and approved? (That is probably only a six month window of time to carry out all that goes with such a large change in all states.)
ESSA PROBLEMS
There are potential problems brewing between Congress specifically between the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the newly confirmed Secretary of Education John King. The essence of the disagreement is how Title I funds would be spent. There is concern that instead of federal money being used to supplement local funding to adequately staff Title I programs, the money will be used for routine expenses thus limiting the money needed to carry out the intent of Title I funding. Senator Alexander indicated that he is willing to use Congressional appropriations to insure that congressional intent is heeded. With a new president and, presumably, a new Secretary of Education taking office after the first of the year, this disagreement has the potential to cause problems with the implementation of the new education law. (For more detailed information on this issue go tohttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/04/13/didnt-take-long-new-education-secretary-starts-butting-heads-in-nations-capital/
RETROACTIVE DIPLOMAS
With the change in required exit exams to get a high school diploma, some states are granting high school diplomas retroactively to students who failed the state exit exams but who passed the coursework which the state now requires. In the past nine months, Georgia has retroactively awarded high school diplomas to over 17,000 students. Texas has awarded 4,000 diplomas and anticipates that an additional 12,000 will be eligible to get retroactive diplomas. \Some other states that have passed legislation to allow students who did not pass formerly required exit exams but passed end of course exams to get high school diplomas are California, South Carolina, Arizona and Alaska. If your state has dropped high school graduation tests and you know of students who might be eligible for a retroactive diploma; contact your state Department of Education.
REVISED GED STANDARDS
The GED Testing Service has recently lowered the passing score for the test. This will allow states to lower the score needed to pass the GED. Every section will go from 150 of 200 to pass to 145 of 200. This is retroactive and is estimated to result in approximately 25,000 additional individuals passing the GED based on exams they have already taken. States would have to agree to make the change. To find out whether this change affects you or someone you know check with an institution near you which is part of the GED program. This may be a community college or your state department of education. A person having this high school equivalency certificate will have better job opportunities.
SOME WOMEN INVENTORS
In response to a request to include more information about women’s successes, I offer the following:
It was not until the late 1800s that women could be the owner of record for property or enter into legal agreements in their own name. Instead, a woman's property was in the name of her father or husband. Sybilla Masters may have been the first American woman inventor. She invented a new corn mill, but was denied a patent in 1712 because she was a woman. Three years later the patent was granted when it was filed in her husband's name.
Some other interesting inventions by women are the Apgar Test credited to Virginia Apgar in 1952, the disposable diaper patented by Marion Donovan in 1950 and the dishwasher invented by Josephine Cochran in 1872. Lest you think that women invented only things for the home, note that the windshield wiper was invented by Mary Anderson in 1903, the Rotary engine patented by Margaret Knight in 1904 and the engine muffler exhaust credited to El Dorado Jones in 1917.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670[this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #147, MARCH 2016
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
IN THIS ISSUE
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
LEAD IN DRINKING WATER
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT LEAD IN WATER
REVIVING SOLAR CALCULATORS
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
In 1987 Congress proclaimed March as National Women’s History Month. It is a time to celebrate the achievements of women about many of whom we are ignorant. For some interesting information about women of many races in many fields of endeavor visit the current exhibit of National Museum of Women’s History at https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/ Through the museum we have learned about women as spies, women who dressed as men and fought in wars and women who have achieved distinction in many, diverse fields of endeavor. I particularly liked the story of 17-year-old Jackie Mitchell, the second woman to play in the major leagues, who struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game in 1931, but her contract was voided the next day because the baseball commissioner deemed the sport “too strenuous for women.”
LEAD IN DRINKING WATER
The current children’s health crisis in Flint, Michigan due to high levels of lead in the drinking water has been reported recently. Before the advent of plastic piping in the 1930s, water pipes were either made of lead, iron, copper, or wood. Even when materials other than lead were used, lead could be found in drinking water coming through the pipe. In Jackson, MS, for example, although all the water pipes were not made of lead, they were joined together with a lead compound some of which leached into the water. [Science teachers take note: the word plumbing comes from plumbum the Latin word for lead.]
It is impossible to know how widespread the problem is because the federal government requires only about 10 percent of the nation’s schools and a tiny fraction of day care centers — the 8,225 facilities that run their own water systems — to test for lead at all. The EPA estimates about 90,000 public schools and 500,000 child care facilities are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act because they depend on water sources such as municipal utilities that are expected to test their own water. That means parents have no assurance that lead isn’t seeping into their children’s water from a school building’s pipes, solder or fixtures. In fact, many schools that have tested for lead voluntarily were found to have lead in their water indicating that this is a common occurrence. Given the dangers, the EPA recommends that schools and day care centers test for lead, even if they’re not required to do so and to work to reduce the amount of lead in their water.
But even among schools and day care centers required to test for lead, the USA Today Network analysis found lead levels which caused concern in 42 states. Water providers didn’t always conduct the required follow-up tests or notify customers when tests indicated high levels of lead. For example, in the Ithaca City School District parents weren’t told about problems until four months after test results were known. Four water samples from two district schools which were required to test for lead tested above the EPA action level in August. When the district tested the water again, it found numerous levels greater than 100 ppb (50 ppb is the recommended maximum), according to results it released. Officials turned off drinking water sources at the two schools and made bottled water available throughout the district. EPA officials say they encourage voluntary testing in schools and day care facilities and provide help to those that want to test for lead while also helping those which are required to test in order to stay in compliance.
Blood testing for lead poisoning is typically done in babies, not school-age children. Symptoms usually don’t arise until dangerous levels have accumulated and can be vague, so they are often missed until the damage — such as lowered IQ, behavior problems and developmental delays — has been done.
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT LEAD IN WATER
According to the EPA’s 1991 Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) public water systems are required to identify lead service lines.
- Ask your local utility/water provider if you have a lead service line. Do not take a yes or no answer, get proof. Often these providers do not have records. This was true in Jackson, MS where the officials responsible for keeping records had not done so.
- Ask your local utility/water provider when water lines were installed, what they were made of, and what types of connections of water pipes were used. (Remember that not all lines were installed at the same time. You may want to contact the office of the water provider to learn what information they have about composition of water lines, how pipes were connected and any recent tests for lead in the water.)
- Ascertain when your dwelling was constructed. (If it was built in the last 50-60 years there is probably no lead in the system.)
- Ask if your local schools have had tests for lead in their water. It is not only the drinking water which may contain lead but also the water used in food preparation.
- Consider buying a filter for water in your home capable of removing lead from tap water.
REVIVING SOLAR CALCULATORS
If you have a solar calculator or other solar powered device which has ceased to function, try placing it open in a window which gets a lot of sunlight. Leave it there for a several days. This will often cause the device to function again. A solar calculator is often kept closed, so that it gets very little light of any kind. This prolonged exposure to light may recharge the solar cell.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #146, February 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS
NEW EDUCATION LAW
REMOVING SMOKE SMELL FROM BOOKS
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS
In his final year in office, President Barack Obama is returning to an issue that was at the heart of the first piece of legislation he signed at the White House: closing the gender pay gap. (This first law enacted was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.) This act allowed women to collect the difference in back pay between themselves and male colleagues in the same job for every paycheck where there was a pay difference. (The Supreme Court ruled that Ledbetter was only entitled to the pay difference for two paychecks instead of those differences over several years, thus affecting not only her take home remuneration but also her Social Security payments.)
Another piece of legislation called The Paycheck Fairness Act has been introduced in every session of Congress for at least ten years. In this session of Congress it is H.R.1619 introduced by Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and S.862 introduced by Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland. Both bills have been referred to committee where in the past they have died at the end of the legislative session. Basically this act allows employees to learn what other workers in similar positions are being paid. Currently it is possible for an employee asking about the pay of others to be fired or otherwise punished. A person who is unaware of what others in a similar position are being paid is powerless to try to redress the situation. In Ledbetter’s case she was unaware of the pay discrepancy until she retired and someone else anonymously left a note about the pay discrepancy.
Recently President Obama put forth new rules that would compel companies with more than 100 workers to provide the federal government with annual data for how much they pay employees based on gender, race and ethnicity. The president said the information would be used to help public enforcement of equal pay laws while giving more insight into discriminatory pay practices. To view all of what action was taken and anticipated results of the action go to https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/01/29/taking-action-advance-equal-pay
Historically, full-time white female workers have only been paid a fraction of their male counterparts: In 2014, white females were paid 79 cents for every dollar paid to white males. The difference for women of color was even greater, and there was a pay difference between the pay of nonwhite male employees and white male employees also thus bringing the problem of racial discrimination in pay to the attention of officials.
NEW EDUCATION LAW
The original law governing education passed in 1965 which has been amended and changed over the years is called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). One of the most well-known reauthorizations of this law was enacted early in this century and became known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This year Congress enacted/reauthorized education funding and the new law is called Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). (The published conference committee report can be found athttps://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/114th-congress/house-report/354/1?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Every+Student+Succeeds%22%5D%7D) Presumably in the future ESSA will be the acronym for the law currently in effect.
The new law returns much of the responsibility for expenditure of K-12 Federal money to the states. The U.S. Department of Education is responsible for insuring that this money is spent in accordance with this act. Particular attention is to be paid to “historically overlooked groups of students” specifically English language learners and special education students. Provisions of the act will take effect October 1, 2016. The 2016-17 school year is a transition year. During this time states must develop and submit plans for use of federal money. On August 1, 2017 the new plans are to take effect. Much about this legislation will be clarified in the coming months.
REMOVING SMOKE SMELL FROM BOOKS
An easy, inexpensive way to remove the smell of smoke from books is to take the book, insert a brand name (not cheapie) clothes dryer sheet in the middle of the book and place the book in a sunny spot in a window for several of days.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #145, JANUARY 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
CHILD BRIDES
ROBOCALLS
OFFICIAL 2016 FLAG FLYING DAYS
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITY
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
CHILD BRIDES
Although 18 is the minimum legal age for girls in the United States to marry, younger girls do get married either with the consent of their parents or the approval of a judge. In the U.S. the problem of girls under the age of 18 being forced into marriage by family members is beginning to get attention by researchers. The non-profit Unchained At Last investigated marriages in New Jersey between 1995 and 2012 and found that 178 marriages of children between 10 and 15 were approved by judges. A 2011 survey by the Tahirih Justice Center identified 3,000 known or suspected cases in the previous two years alone of girls in the US as young as 15 who were forced to marry under threats of death, beatings or ostracism. The problem is not limited to girls. In 2006 a 10 year old boy was married to an 18 year old woman. In 1996 a 12 year old girl married a 25 year old man with judicial permission. Part of the problem is public ignorance of the problem. Also there are currently no federal laws which cover the problem, and state laws dealing with the subject vary widely. In depth studies of the problem have just begun in the last few years..
ROBOCALLS
When Congress passed the budget bill recently, a little known section for the first time allowed robocalls to be made to cell phones. In addition to being undesirable, this is a financial problem for those whose cell phone contracts charge for incoming calls. Following talks with Consumer Reports, Time Warner is now offering through its website the free call-blocking service Nomorobo to its 6 million Internet-based phone customers. This service automatically identifies suspicious robocalls and blocks them after one ring. And it rated high for effectiveness with Consumer Reports’ volunteer testers. The major phone companies – AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink – had been reluctant to offer this call-blocking tool directly to their customers. During the meeting, they agreed to consider making it easier for customers to access robocall-blocking tools. For those with traditional landline phones little has been done to alleviate the problem of robocalls. Consumer Reports is continuing to investigate what might be done to help these users.
OFFICIAL 2016 FLAG FLYING DAYS
January 1 — New Year’s Day
January 18 — Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday
February 12 — Abraham Lincoln’s birthday
February 22 — George Washington's birthday
March 27 – Easter Sunday
April 19 – Patriot’s Day
May 15 – Peace Officer’s Day (flag at half staff
May 21 — Armed Forces Day
May 30 — Memorial Day (flag at half staff)
June 14 — Flag Day
July 4 — Independence Day
July 27 – Korean War Veteran’s Day
September 5 — Labor Day
September 11 — Patriot Day (flag at half staff)
September 17 – Constitution Day
October 13 – Navy Birthday
October 14 --Columbus Day
November 8 — Election Day
November 11 — Veterans Day
November 24 — Thanksgiving Day
December 7 — Pearl Harbor Day (flag at half staff)
December 25 — Christmas Day
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
A performance of "Capitol Steps" will be available to those who are arriving on Saturday, March 12, 2016, prior to the beginning of National Legislative Seminar. This live performance at the Ronald Reagan Building in D.C., begins at 7:30 p.m. (EST). Transportation is "on your own" (taxi cab, etc.). "Capitol Steps' is a musical presentation of skits of political satire/humor. By attending as a group of 10 or more, the individual ticket price decreases from $40.50 to $33.00. For more information, contact Wally Turner at [email protected]
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
The registration deadline for the National Legislative Seminar (NLS) of the U. S. Forum being held March 13-16, 2016 in Washington, DC is February 13, 2016. Deadline for specially arranged room rates is February 12, 2016.
The registration form for the National Legislative Seminar can be found athttp://www.usforumdkg.org/legislative-seminar.html. When completing the registration form, you should know that the cost of lunch on Monday is included in the registration fee; however, the cost of Sunday night dinner and Wednesday breakfast is not included in that fee.
All DKG members who reside in the United States are automatically members of the U.S. Forum and are eligible to attend the seminar. The current brochure about the U. S. Forum can be viewed athttp://www.usforumdkg.org/uploads/4/4/6/6/44667559/2016_us_forum_brochure.pdf
***************************************************************************************************
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #144, DECEMBER 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
EDUCATION BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
CREDIT CARD SECURITY
AVOIDING CERTAIN INTERNET POPUP ADS
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITY
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
EDUCATION BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
[acronyms: NCLB = No Child Left Behind; ESEA = Elementary and Secondary Education Act; ESSA = Every Student Succeeds Act]
The new education bill which was passed and signed into law is now being referred to as ESSA. It will not take effect until the 2017-18 school year. Any state waivers which were granted under NCLB will expire August 1, 2016. The 2016-17 school year will be transitional between NCLB and ESSA as states develop policies to comply with the new law. Major issues which the new law addresses are testing and accountability, teacher evaluation, grants and fiscal accountability. The Congressional Record summary of the bill follows.
“The bill provides states with increased flexibility and responsibility for developing accountability systems, deciding how federally required tests should be weighed, selecting additional measures of student and school performance, and implementing teacher evaluation systems.
It includes grants for providing language instruction educational programs, improving low-performing schools, and developing programs for American Indian and Alaska Native students. The bill provides rural school districts with increased flexibility in using federal funding. It also revises the Impact Aid formula.
The bill requires school districts to consult stakeholders in planning and implementing programs to improve student safety, health, well-being, and academic achievement.
It combines two existing charter school programs into one program that includes grants for high-quality charter schools, facilities financing assistance, and replication and expansion.
The bill provides states with flexibility in meeting maintenance of effort requirements for state and local education funding to supplement federal assistance.
The bill prohibits the Department of Education from imposing certain requirements on states or school districts seeking waivers from federal laws.
It provides that ESEA dollars may be used to improve early childhood education programs and specifies requirements to ensure that homeless youth have access to all services provided by the states and school districts.”
(Remember that this bill sets forth policies; however, the funding to implement these policies will be determined by the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee and possibly a joint committee to resolve differences in the bills from the two bodies.)
CREDIT CARD SECURITY
In previous issues the security of credit cards with chips has been discussed. There is an added measure of protection if you have a credit card which has both a chip and a PIN. Originally credit cards had a magnetic chip which was slid through a slot on a machine. Depending on the size of the purchase the purchaser might also have to sign the credit slip. The next level of security was cards with chips. These are inserted into a slot on a machine, and they might also require a signature. The current highest level of security is a card with a chip which also requires the purchaser to have a Personal Identification Number (PIN). Although credit card companies are slowly replacing the magnetic strip cards with cards containing chips, very few cards currently have a chip and also require a PIN. (I find it interesting that Target which was the subject of a large hacking breach has issued new cards with both a chip and a PIN.)
AVOIDING CERTAIN INTERNET POPUP ADS
It is possible to navigate on the Internet and also avoid popup ads. First identify whether the link has an extender such as .com or .net, etc. If it does you can simply click on the link and go to the site. If it does not have an extender, simply right click on the link. A dialog box will appear from which you can select “open” which is usually the first option. Normally one would left click on a link. Doing so on a link with no extender will usually result in a popup ad.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
A performance of "Capitol Steps" will be available to those who are arriving on Saturday, March 12, 2016, prior to the beginning of National Legislative Seminar. This live performance at the Ronald Reagan Building in D.C., begins at 7:30 p.m. (EST). Transportation is "on your own" (taxi cab, etc.). "Capitol Steps' is a musical presentation of skits of political satire/humor. By attending as a group of 10 or more, the individual ticket price decreases from $40.50 to $33.00. For more information, contact Wally Turner at [email protected]
A limited number of tickets are available for "110 in the Shade" at historic Ford's Theatre on Tuesday evening, March 15, 2016. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., (EST). Cost of tickets for center balcony seats is $30.00. Transportation is "on your own". If you are interested in attending the performance, contact: Wally Turner at [email protected].
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
The registration deadline for the National Legislative Seminar (NLS) of the U. S. Forum being heldMarch 13-16, 2016 in Washington, DC is February 13, 2016. Deadline for specially arranged room rates is February 12, 2016.
The registration form for the National Legislative Seminar can be found at http://www.usforumdkg.org/legislative-seminar.html. When completing the registration form, you should know that the cost of lunch on Monday is included in the registration fee; however, the cost of Sunday night dinner and Wednesday breakfast is not included in that fee.
All DKG members who reside in the United States are automatically members of the U.S. Forum and are eligible to attend the seminar. The current brochure about the U. S. Forum can be viewed athttp://www.usforumdkg.org/uploads/4/4/6/6/44667559/2016_us_forum_brochure.pdf
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #143, NOVEMBER 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
EDUCATION FUNDING CONCERNS
PELL GRANTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
FREE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITY
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
EDUCATION FUNDING CONCERNS
With calls for reduced government spending, there is some concern that the big education bill in Congress will see cuts in Title I and Title II funding. At this time nothing is concretely known about what will be in the bill currently being debated by the House/Senate Education Conference Committee, but the possibility of funding cuts for Title I and Title II is being considered likely. (Keep in mind that whatever is in a conference committee bill which passes both houses, the actual funding for programs will be determined by the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee and could be delayed for a year or more.)
PELL GRANTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
The U.S. Education Department is considering implementing a pilot program which would offer Pell Grants to low-income high school students which would allow them to take and get credit for college courses while still in high school. If implemented could impact up to 10,000 high school students from low income families. The program would be advertised in the Federal Register for offering the opportunity for post secondary instututions (community colleges, colleges and universities) to apply to be part of a program which would have them work with secondary schools and/or school districts, The program would allow students to earn up to 12 semester hours college credit. Student who take advantage of this opportunity would have to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Because of the recognized difficulty in filling out this form properly, it is recommended that local school authorities familiar with filling out federal forms should assist students who wish to apply. It is anticipated that this initial program would be available to public schools students only due to accountability issues.
FREE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
A free program designed for 5-8 grade students which accompanies SciGirls (a PBS Kids television series). “SciGirls has made a commitment to providing quality, gender-equitable, inquiry-based STEM activities that are fun for all!” The program can be accessed online either as part of classroom teaching or as a supplemental after-school activity. Programs modelling an ecosystem (All Tangled Up), observing and identifying local birds (Bird Is The Word), looking at cloud characteristics (Cloud Clues), creating a field guide (Out and About) or identifying frog calls (Wetland Band) are part of the package. This is an excellent way to engage students who finish regular classroom assignments faster than other class members in useful activities or as an after-school activity to interest students in the world around them. To access the program go to http://bit.ly/1NMWylX.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
A performance of "Capitol Steps" will be available to those who are arriving on Saturday, March 12, 2016, prior to the beginning of National Legislative Seminar. This live performance at the Ronald Reagan Building in D.C., begins at 7:30 p.m. (EST). Transportation is "on your own" (taxi cab, etc.). "Capitol Steps' is a musical presentation of skits of political satire/humor. By attending as a group of 10 or more, the individual ticket price decreases from $40.50 to $33.00. For more information, contact Wally Turner at [email protected]
A limited number of tickets are available for "110 in the Shade" at historic Ford's Theatre on Tuesday evening, March 15, 2016. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., (EST). Cost of tickets for center balcony seats is $30.00. Transportation is "on your own". If you are interested in attending the performance, contact: Wally Turner at [email protected].
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
The registration deadline for the National Legislative Seminar (NLS) of the U. S. Forum being held March 13-16, 2016 in Washington, DC is February 13, 2016. Deadline for specially arranged room rates is February 12, 2016.
The registration form for the National Legislative Seminar can be found at http://www.usforumdkg.org/legislative-seminar.html. When completing the registration form, you should know that the cost of lunch on Monday is included in the registration fee; however, the cost of Sunday night dinner and Wednesdaybreakfast is not included in that fee.
All DKG members who reside in the United States are automatically members of the U.S. Forum and are eligible to attend the seminar. The current brochure about the U. S. Forum can be viewed at http://www.usforumdkg.org/uploads/4/4/6/6/44667559/2016_us_forum_brochure.pdf
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #142, OCTOBER 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
NCLB/ESEA HOUSE/SENATE DIFFERENCES
TITLE I CHANGES BEING CONSIDERED
POSSIBLE SOURCE OF TEACHER PAY INCREASE
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Operation Cross Country a cooperative effort between the FBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children recently arrested 281 alleged pimps and rescued 168 child victims of sexual exploitation. The nationwide concerted effort involved 54 FBI field divisions in 106 cities. Over the past seven years this initiative has rescued about 3,400 children leading to 1,450 convictions, 14 life prison terms and seizure of over $3.1 million worth of assets.
NCLB/ESEA HOUSE/SENATE DIFFERENCES
The big education bills in the House (Student Success Act) and the Senate (Every Child Achieves Act) have differences which will be resolved by a conference committee. Similarities
TITLE I CHANGES BEING CONSIDERED
With the budget bill being approved, Title I will not face the disruption in Federal money as was the case when the federal government was shut down previously. A Senate bill under consideration would direct more money into Title I, but several states in the Northeast and Midwest would get less Title I money. A bill under consideration in the House would direct more money to small and middle-sized districts where poverty is relatively high.
POSSIBLE SOURCE OF TEACHER PAY INCREASE
There is currently discussion about changing prison sentencing guidelines so that fewer people would be jailed. This would save money because the number of prison employees would be reduced as well as the cost of housing, feeding, etc. prisoners. A proposal by the U.S. Department of Education is that states should consider using the money saved due decreased numbers of prisoners to increase teacher salaries.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
The National Legislative Seminar (NLS) of the U. S. Forum will be held March 13-16, 2016 in Washington, DC. The topics/issues which were identified from the 2015 Planning Surveys that were gathered at the U.S. Forum Session at the regional conferences this summer are:
bullying/cyberbullying
high stakes student testing
human trafficking
mental health/gun violence
pay equity/fair pay for women
The seminar will have knowledgeable speakers to address each of these issues. Attendees at the last seminar heard from Congressional staffers as well as legislative liaisons from health and women’s groups who regularly work to improve women’s lives.
All DKG members who reside in the United States are automatically members of the U.S. Forum and are eligible to attend the seminar. The current brochure about the U. S. Forum can be viewed at http://www.usforumdkg.org/uploads/4/4/6/6/44667559/2016_us_forum_brochure.pdf
The registration form for the National Legislative Seminar can be found athttp://www.usforumdkg.org/legislative-seminar.html. When completing the registration form, you should know that the cost of lunch on Monday is included in the registration fee; however, the cost of Sunday night dinner and Wednesday breakfast is not included in that fee.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #140, AUGUST 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION
EDUCATION PROGRAM FUNDING
EDUCATION TAX RELIEF
DEALING WITH ROBOCALLS
SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION
The Social Security Expansion Act (S.743) would, among other things, use the Consumer Price Index to calculate cost of living increases in Social Security payments, extend the tax on earners making more than $250,000 annually, increase the amount paid on lifetime low earners based on years in the workforce. If this legislation passes, some of its provisions would not take effect until 2021.
EDUCATION PROGRAM FUNDING
The five week summer break for Congress ends September 8. When members return there will be only 10 “work days” before the 2016 fiscal year budget should take effect. The problem is that a deal raising education funding which was negotiated in 2013 expires at the end of September 2015. Both budget bills currently pending in the House and the Senate would cut education spending. As one might expect the two bills do not agree, and the House bill would cut almost twice as much funding as the Senate bill. A continuing resolution could be passed which would continue spending at the current levels or Congress could put together some sort of temporary spending allocation. If there is no budget agreement, as seems likely, most education funding would continue with two exceptions. The two programs which could be negatively impacted if no agreement is reached are Head Start and Impact Aid. These programs would not get any money until a budget is agreed upon. In that case the programs would have to borrow money to operate thus paying interest on the borrowed funds which would decrease money for the programs. Impact Aid monies go to schools on military bases and Native American reservations. This affects about 1,250 school districts.
EDUCATION TAX RELIEF
There are currently two bills which could provide tax relief for educators. The Educator Tax Relief Act of 2015 (H.R.2940) would make professional development expenses tax deductible. The Tax Relief Extension Act of 2015 (S.1946) has been introduced; however, no summary of the provisions in the bill are available at this time. The bill would extend tax deductions for educators which expired in 2014.
DEALING WITH ROBOCALLS
More and more telephone customers are being plagued with unwanted robocalls. There are several devices which block incoming robocalls. One of those rated well by Consumer Reports is Nomorobo which is free; however, it is not available everywhere. You can find information about this athttps://www.nomorobo.com/ If this service is not available in your area, the site provides toll free numbers that you can call. It is to your advantage to call the number/s provided; because that will motivate your provider to install the free service in your area. (When you complain it ties up their paid operators, so it is to the company’s economic advantage to put in the robocall blocking service and allow the paid operators to take care of customers with other problems.)
There are devices which block robocalls that can be purchased through Amazon. These are
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representativeshttp://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #139, JULY 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
STUDENT TESTING
NATIONAL WOMEN”S HISTORY MUSEUM -- RESOURCES
NATIONAL WOMEN”S HISTORY MUSEUM -- BUILDING COMMISSION
CREDIT CARD PROTECTION
STUDENT TESTING
The Council of State School Officers (CSSO) which along with the National Governors’ Conference was responsible for the Common Core Standards now says that 39 states are considering ways to reduce overtesting or cut redundant tests. How this is to be done varies from state to state and in some instances from school district to school district within a state. Many methods of doing this are being considered. Some locales favor state legislation, while others are considering establishing commissions to study the problem. Uncertainty about what will ultimately be in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA/NCLB) now in Congress add to the confusion. There seems to be some consensus that there is too much testing. Other issues such as
how much testing, on what subjects and when in the course of a student’s career the tests are to be given are still up in the air. If the tests are to have validity in comparing student knowledge across state and district boundaries, it would seem that identical tests should be administered at identical points of time as students progress through the grades.
NATIONAL WOMEN”S HISTORY MUSEUM -- RESOURCES
The National Women’s History Museum is in the process of producing 40 “Women’s History Minutes.” These cover such women as Deborah Sampson who fought in the Revolutionary War under the name Robert Shurtlieff, Sybil Ludington who at sixteen rode to warn colonists a la a Paul Revere and Betty Zane who darted outside to obtain needed gunpowder in frontier Virginia. Additionally the museum has produced an online exhibit titled “Breaking In: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics.” That exhibit can be accessed athttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/.
Other exhibits at that site include “Women Wielding Power: Pioneer Female State Legislators,” “Clandestine Women: Spies in American History,” and “Young and Brave: Girls Changing History.”
NATIONAL WOMEN”S HISTORY MUSEUM – BUILDING COMMISSION
As many of you know DKG’s U.S. Forum has substantially helped the National Women’s History Museum in its effort to have a physical building on or near the National Mall in Washington, DC. In December 2014 as one of the last acts of the 113th Congress a bill was passed which allowed appointment of a “Congressional Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Women's History Museum.” This eight member commission would have two members appointed by each of the following – the House Majority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, the House Minority Leader and the Senate Minority leader. It is hoped that the lead architect in this endeavor will be a woman. If that happens this will be the first time a woman has designed a museum on or close to the National Mall.
CREDIT CARD PROTECTION
In the May issue of the U.S. Forum Connection the possibility of the Forum undertake selling credit card sleeves to protect credit cards with magnetic strips from being stolen by use of a Radio Frequency Detector was mentioned. The conversion of credit cards with magnetic strips to cards with an embedded chip is currently underway. Due to the limited response from subscribers to having the Forum offer the card protectors, the U.S. Forum has decided not to make them available to members. Instead you can get a new card with a chip simply by calling the toll free customer number on the back of your card and requesting a new card with a chip. You should receive the new card in about one week. Discover Card has estimated that it may take one or two years to replace all Discover cards currently in use, but a local business was told that they should have a card reader which can process credit cards with the microchip by the end of September 2015.
IN THIS ISSUE:
I. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT UPDATE
II. SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION ACT
III. HUMAN TRAFFICKING BILL PASSES
IV. CREDIT CARD THEFT PROTECTION
I. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT UPDATE (ESEA/NCLB)
Different versions of this legislation are being crafted in the House and the Senate. The Senate version is entitled “Every Child Achieves Act of 2015” (S.1177). Among other things this bill maintains the testing of No Child Left Behind, allows states to create their own accountability system, does not allow Title I funds for low income students to follow the student to other public or private schools of their choice, reinstates the 21st century community learning centers (after school program), requires states to identify low performing schools, and increases the number of school counselors and social workers. The House bill (H.R.5) is quite different. It also keeps the testing provisions of No Child Left Behind, but it is so complicated that two different, lengthy summaries of what is currently in the bill are posted at Congress.gov. The House bill has not yet made it out of committee; the Senate bill has been put on the Senate calendar for consideration. Assuming both bills are passed by their respective houses, the bills almost certainly will eventually be resolved through a joint committee.
II. SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION ACT
This bill (S.731) would raise the cap on taxable wages thus making the Social Security System solvent for a number of additional years. It would use the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to calculate cost-of-living adjustments. If this change in how cost of living is calculated were to take effect, it would reflect the types of expenses which older Americans typically have. This change in how cost of living is calculated would increase the average annual benefit to current beneficiaries by about $800 per year or about $65 per month.
III. HUMAN TRAFFICKING BILL PASSES
The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (S.178) passed the Senate April 22 and passed the House on May 19. The bill has been sent to the President and will become law if the President signs it. Human trafficking has been described as modern slavery. The bill as passed provides for additional fines for those involved in trafficking. Some of the money or sale of assets of human traffickers is to be used to help children deal with the psychological damage of being exploited. The bill helps expedite aid to victims and provide training for law enforcement officers in how to help victims and punish traffickers. Although this bill is helpful, there are still a number of areas which need to be addressed. Those most at risk are the homeless and runaways.
IV. CREDIT CARD THEFT PROTECTION
It is possible for a criminal with a card device to get your credit card information simply by operating it within 30 feet of you. You can protect credit cards by wrapping them in aluminum foil. Cards contained within RFID (radio frequency identification) protection cannot be compromised. RFID protection is commercially available either as aluminum cases or as paper sleeves impregnated with aluminum. The Forum is considering selling some of these card protectors. There are two types of card protector. One type protects 2-3 cards (sleeve) while the other one which is thicker holds at least 6-8 credit cards. We would like feedback on interest in the card protectors. The slim card protector would cost $3. If enough people want it, the committee would have to explore the cost of the thicker card protector. If you are interested in purchasing either protector sleeves or the thicker protector from the U.S. Forum, please contact me via email at [email protected].
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representativeshttp://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #136, APRIL 2015
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT UPDATE
K-5 TEACHER OPPORTUNITY
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT UPDATE (ESEA/NCLB)
Senate Bill
(Different versions of this legislation are being crafted in the House and the Senate. The Senate version entitled “Every Child Achieves Act of 2015” has not yet been given a bill number. Among other things this bill maintains the testing of No Child Left Behind, allows states to create their own accountability system, does not allow Title I funds for low income students to follow the student to other public or private schools of their choice, reinstates the 21st century community learning centers (after school program), requires states to identify low performing schools, and increases the number of school counselors and social workers.
House Bill
The Student Success Act (H.R.5) retains current testing in grades 3-8 and high school, eliminates adequate yearly progress (AYP) as well as the basic, proficient and advanced categories. The bill requires reporting by high schools on the high school graduation rate. It limits charter school grants and subgrants to no more than five years. This bill makes a number of changes in distribution of federal funds and mandates limits on how much money can be used for a number of school activities and programs. If passed it would make states and districts ineligible for federal funding if personnel hired refuse to submit to a background check. The background check involves homicide; child abuse or neglect; crimes against children; domestic violence; crimes involving rape or sexual assault; kidnapping; arson; and physical assault, battery, or drug-related offenses committed five years before the individual's criminal background check. This seems to indicate that when hiring personnel, schools should conduct a criminal background check on each individual. The summary of the House bill is fourteen pages long. Those wanting additional information can go to https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/5?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22hr5%22%5D%7D
Assuming both bills are passed by their respective houses, the bills almost certainly will eventually be resolved through a joint committee. Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee chaired the committee which crafted the Senate bill. He worked closely with Senator Patty Murray of Washington. Although initial versions of the bill provided for reducing the number of tests given, this was not present in the final bill. Senator Alexander has been pushing to have the bill brought to a vote in the Senate as soon as possible to avoid it being considered and voted on much later in the session as appropriations bills take precedence over it.
K-5 TEACHER OPPORTUNITY
K-5 elementary school teachers can learn more about using technology in the classroom by attending a free workshop sponsored by the nonprofit organization Code.org where they will receive 6-7 hours of instruction, free classroom supplies and free lunch. For more information about the program and to locate a workshop near you go to http://code.org/educate/k5
****************************************************************************************************
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
EDUCATION FUNDING CONCERNS
PELL GRANTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
FREE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITY
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
EDUCATION FUNDING CONCERNS
With calls for reduced government spending, there is some concern that the big education bill in Congress will see cuts in Title I and Title II funding. At this time nothing is concretely known about what will be in the bill currently being debated by the House/Senate Education Conference Committee, but the possibility of funding cuts for Title I and Title II is being considered likely. (Keep in mind that whatever is in a conference committee bill which passes both houses, the actual funding for programs will be determined by the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee and could be delayed for a year or more.)
PELL GRANTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
The U.S. Education Department is considering implementing a pilot program which would offer Pell Grants to low-income high school students which would allow them to take and get credit for college courses while still in high school. If implemented could impact up to 10,000 high school students from low income families. The program would be advertised in the Federal Register for offering the opportunity for post secondary instututions (community colleges, colleges and universities) to apply to be part of a program which would have them work with secondary schools and/or school districts, The program would allow students to earn up to 12 semester hours college credit. Student who take advantage of this opportunity would have to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Because of the recognized difficulty in filling out this form properly, it is recommended that local school authorities familiar with filling out federal forms should assist students who wish to apply. It is anticipated that this initial program would be available to public schools students only due to accountability issues.
FREE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
A free program designed for 5-8 grade students which accompanies SciGirls (a PBS Kids television series). “SciGirls has made a commitment to providing quality, gender-equitable, inquiry-based STEM activities that are fun for all!” The program can be accessed online either as part of classroom teaching or as a supplemental after-school activity. Programs modelling an ecosystem (All Tangled Up), observing and identifying local birds (Bird Is The Word), looking at cloud characteristics (Cloud Clues), creating a field guide (Out and About) or identifying frog calls (Wetland Band) are part of the package. This is an excellent way to engage students who finish regular classroom assignments faster than other class members in useful activities or as an after-school activity to interest students in the world around them. To access the program go to http://bit.ly/1NMWylX.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR ADDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
A performance of "Capitol Steps" will be available to those who are arriving on Saturday, March 12, 2016, prior to the beginning of National Legislative Seminar. This live performance at the Ronald Reagan Building in D.C., begins at 7:30 p.m. (EST). Transportation is "on your own" (taxi cab, etc.). "Capitol Steps' is a musical presentation of skits of political satire/humor. By attending as a group of 10 or more, the individual ticket price decreases from $40.50 to $33.00. For more information, contact Wally Turner at [email protected]
A limited number of tickets are available for "110 in the Shade" at historic Ford's Theatre on Tuesday evening, March 15, 2016. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., (EST). Cost of tickets for center balcony seats is $30.00. Transportation is "on your own". If you are interested in attending the performance, contact: Wally Turner at [email protected].
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES
The registration deadline for the National Legislative Seminar (NLS) of the U. S. Forum being held March 13-16, 2016 in Washington, DC is February 13, 2016. Deadline for specially arranged room rates is February 12, 2016.
The registration form for the National Legislative Seminar can be found at http://www.usforumdkg.org/legislative-seminar.html. When completing the registration form, you should know that the cost of lunch on Monday is included in the registration fee; however, the cost of Sunday night dinner and Wednesdaybreakfast is not included in that fee.
All DKG members who reside in the United States are automatically members of the U.S. Forum and are eligible to attend the seminar. The current brochure about the U. S. Forum can be viewed at http://www.usforumdkg.org/uploads/4/4/6/6/44667559/2016_us_forum_brochure.pdf
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #142, OCTOBER 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
NCLB/ESEA HOUSE/SENATE DIFFERENCES
TITLE I CHANGES BEING CONSIDERED
POSSIBLE SOURCE OF TEACHER PAY INCREASE
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Operation Cross Country a cooperative effort between the FBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children recently arrested 281 alleged pimps and rescued 168 child victims of sexual exploitation. The nationwide concerted effort involved 54 FBI field divisions in 106 cities. Over the past seven years this initiative has rescued about 3,400 children leading to 1,450 convictions, 14 life prison terms and seizure of over $3.1 million worth of assets.
NCLB/ESEA HOUSE/SENATE DIFFERENCES
The big education bills in the House (Student Success Act) and the Senate (Every Child Achieves Act) have differences which will be resolved by a conference committee. Similarities
- Reading and math testing in grades 3-8 and at least once in high school plus science testing in certain grades.
- Test results must be made public
- Elimination of duplicate and/or low quality assessments
- Elimination of AYP with states developing their own accountability system
- High school graduation rates and English language proficiency as part of accountability (This is in the Senate bill only. The House bill does not address this issue.)
- The “highly qualified” teacher requirements would be eliminated
- States could use federal teacher quality funds to set up teacher evaluations
- Both House and Senate bills would allow students to transfer to better performing schools. (The House bill allows Title I portability as part of this transfer.)
- House bill allows parents to opt their children out of testing with no penalty
- The Senate bill would require states to figure state test results into their accountability systems
- The House bill would require states to consider overall school performance and the performance of certain subgroups of students
- The House bill requires states to intervene in Title I schools which are underperforming. (It doesn’t say how. The Senate bill eliminates School Improvement Grant program and allows districts to cope with failing schools.
- The Senate bill would eliminate some federal programs, but would include preschool programs in the NCLB/ESEA.
- The House bill would repeal “maintenance of effort;” while the Senate bill would keep it.
TITLE I CHANGES BEING CONSIDERED
With the budget bill being approved, Title I will not face the disruption in Federal money as was the case when the federal government was shut down previously. A Senate bill under consideration would direct more money into Title I, but several states in the Northeast and Midwest would get less Title I money. A bill under consideration in the House would direct more money to small and middle-sized districts where poverty is relatively high.
POSSIBLE SOURCE OF TEACHER PAY INCREASE
There is currently discussion about changing prison sentencing guidelines so that fewer people would be jailed. This would save money because the number of prison employees would be reduced as well as the cost of housing, feeding, etc. prisoners. A proposal by the U.S. Department of Education is that states should consider using the money saved due decreased numbers of prisoners to increase teacher salaries.
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
The National Legislative Seminar (NLS) of the U. S. Forum will be held March 13-16, 2016 in Washington, DC. The topics/issues which were identified from the 2015 Planning Surveys that were gathered at the U.S. Forum Session at the regional conferences this summer are:
bullying/cyberbullying
high stakes student testing
human trafficking
mental health/gun violence
pay equity/fair pay for women
The seminar will have knowledgeable speakers to address each of these issues. Attendees at the last seminar heard from Congressional staffers as well as legislative liaisons from health and women’s groups who regularly work to improve women’s lives.
All DKG members who reside in the United States are automatically members of the U.S. Forum and are eligible to attend the seminar. The current brochure about the U. S. Forum can be viewed at http://www.usforumdkg.org/uploads/4/4/6/6/44667559/2016_us_forum_brochure.pdf
The registration form for the National Legislative Seminar can be found athttp://www.usforumdkg.org/legislative-seminar.html. When completing the registration form, you should know that the cost of lunch on Monday is included in the registration fee; however, the cost of Sunday night dinner and Wednesday breakfast is not included in that fee.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #140, AUGUST 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION
EDUCATION PROGRAM FUNDING
EDUCATION TAX RELIEF
DEALING WITH ROBOCALLS
SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION
The Social Security Expansion Act (S.743) would, among other things, use the Consumer Price Index to calculate cost of living increases in Social Security payments, extend the tax on earners making more than $250,000 annually, increase the amount paid on lifetime low earners based on years in the workforce. If this legislation passes, some of its provisions would not take effect until 2021.
EDUCATION PROGRAM FUNDING
The five week summer break for Congress ends September 8. When members return there will be only 10 “work days” before the 2016 fiscal year budget should take effect. The problem is that a deal raising education funding which was negotiated in 2013 expires at the end of September 2015. Both budget bills currently pending in the House and the Senate would cut education spending. As one might expect the two bills do not agree, and the House bill would cut almost twice as much funding as the Senate bill. A continuing resolution could be passed which would continue spending at the current levels or Congress could put together some sort of temporary spending allocation. If there is no budget agreement, as seems likely, most education funding would continue with two exceptions. The two programs which could be negatively impacted if no agreement is reached are Head Start and Impact Aid. These programs would not get any money until a budget is agreed upon. In that case the programs would have to borrow money to operate thus paying interest on the borrowed funds which would decrease money for the programs. Impact Aid monies go to schools on military bases and Native American reservations. This affects about 1,250 school districts.
EDUCATION TAX RELIEF
There are currently two bills which could provide tax relief for educators. The Educator Tax Relief Act of 2015 (H.R.2940) would make professional development expenses tax deductible. The Tax Relief Extension Act of 2015 (S.1946) has been introduced; however, no summary of the provisions in the bill are available at this time. The bill would extend tax deductions for educators which expired in 2014.
DEALING WITH ROBOCALLS
More and more telephone customers are being plagued with unwanted robocalls. There are several devices which block incoming robocalls. One of those rated well by Consumer Reports is Nomorobo which is free; however, it is not available everywhere. You can find information about this athttps://www.nomorobo.com/ If this service is not available in your area, the site provides toll free numbers that you can call. It is to your advantage to call the number/s provided; because that will motivate your provider to install the free service in your area. (When you complain it ties up their paid operators, so it is to the company’s economic advantage to put in the robocall blocking service and allow the paid operators to take care of customers with other problems.)
There are devices which block robocalls that can be purchased through Amazon. These are
- Digitone Call Blocker Plus ($110) 18 of 24 reviewers gave it a positive rating.
- HQTelecom.com Landline Call Blocker ($59) six of thirteen reviewers gave it a positive rating.
- Sentry Dual Mode Call Blocker ($59) 27 reviewers gave it a positive rating; 28 reviewers gave it a negative rating
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representativeshttp://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #139, JULY 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
STUDENT TESTING
NATIONAL WOMEN”S HISTORY MUSEUM -- RESOURCES
NATIONAL WOMEN”S HISTORY MUSEUM -- BUILDING COMMISSION
CREDIT CARD PROTECTION
STUDENT TESTING
The Council of State School Officers (CSSO) which along with the National Governors’ Conference was responsible for the Common Core Standards now says that 39 states are considering ways to reduce overtesting or cut redundant tests. How this is to be done varies from state to state and in some instances from school district to school district within a state. Many methods of doing this are being considered. Some locales favor state legislation, while others are considering establishing commissions to study the problem. Uncertainty about what will ultimately be in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA/NCLB) now in Congress add to the confusion. There seems to be some consensus that there is too much testing. Other issues such as
how much testing, on what subjects and when in the course of a student’s career the tests are to be given are still up in the air. If the tests are to have validity in comparing student knowledge across state and district boundaries, it would seem that identical tests should be administered at identical points of time as students progress through the grades.
NATIONAL WOMEN”S HISTORY MUSEUM -- RESOURCES
The National Women’s History Museum is in the process of producing 40 “Women’s History Minutes.” These cover such women as Deborah Sampson who fought in the Revolutionary War under the name Robert Shurtlieff, Sybil Ludington who at sixteen rode to warn colonists a la a Paul Revere and Betty Zane who darted outside to obtain needed gunpowder in frontier Virginia. Additionally the museum has produced an online exhibit titled “Breaking In: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics.” That exhibit can be accessed athttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/.
Other exhibits at that site include “Women Wielding Power: Pioneer Female State Legislators,” “Clandestine Women: Spies in American History,” and “Young and Brave: Girls Changing History.”
NATIONAL WOMEN”S HISTORY MUSEUM – BUILDING COMMISSION
As many of you know DKG’s U.S. Forum has substantially helped the National Women’s History Museum in its effort to have a physical building on or near the National Mall in Washington, DC. In December 2014 as one of the last acts of the 113th Congress a bill was passed which allowed appointment of a “Congressional Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Women's History Museum.” This eight member commission would have two members appointed by each of the following – the House Majority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, the House Minority Leader and the Senate Minority leader. It is hoped that the lead architect in this endeavor will be a woman. If that happens this will be the first time a woman has designed a museum on or close to the National Mall.
CREDIT CARD PROTECTION
In the May issue of the U.S. Forum Connection the possibility of the Forum undertake selling credit card sleeves to protect credit cards with magnetic strips from being stolen by use of a Radio Frequency Detector was mentioned. The conversion of credit cards with magnetic strips to cards with an embedded chip is currently underway. Due to the limited response from subscribers to having the Forum offer the card protectors, the U.S. Forum has decided not to make them available to members. Instead you can get a new card with a chip simply by calling the toll free customer number on the back of your card and requesting a new card with a chip. You should receive the new card in about one week. Discover Card has estimated that it may take one or two years to replace all Discover cards currently in use, but a local business was told that they should have a card reader which can process credit cards with the microchip by the end of September 2015.
IN THIS ISSUE:
I. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT UPDATE
II. SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION ACT
III. HUMAN TRAFFICKING BILL PASSES
IV. CREDIT CARD THEFT PROTECTION
I. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT UPDATE (ESEA/NCLB)
Different versions of this legislation are being crafted in the House and the Senate. The Senate version is entitled “Every Child Achieves Act of 2015” (S.1177). Among other things this bill maintains the testing of No Child Left Behind, allows states to create their own accountability system, does not allow Title I funds for low income students to follow the student to other public or private schools of their choice, reinstates the 21st century community learning centers (after school program), requires states to identify low performing schools, and increases the number of school counselors and social workers. The House bill (H.R.5) is quite different. It also keeps the testing provisions of No Child Left Behind, but it is so complicated that two different, lengthy summaries of what is currently in the bill are posted at Congress.gov. The House bill has not yet made it out of committee; the Senate bill has been put on the Senate calendar for consideration. Assuming both bills are passed by their respective houses, the bills almost certainly will eventually be resolved through a joint committee.
II. SOCIAL SECURITY EXPANSION ACT
This bill (S.731) would raise the cap on taxable wages thus making the Social Security System solvent for a number of additional years. It would use the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to calculate cost-of-living adjustments. If this change in how cost of living is calculated were to take effect, it would reflect the types of expenses which older Americans typically have. This change in how cost of living is calculated would increase the average annual benefit to current beneficiaries by about $800 per year or about $65 per month.
III. HUMAN TRAFFICKING BILL PASSES
The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (S.178) passed the Senate April 22 and passed the House on May 19. The bill has been sent to the President and will become law if the President signs it. Human trafficking has been described as modern slavery. The bill as passed provides for additional fines for those involved in trafficking. Some of the money or sale of assets of human traffickers is to be used to help children deal with the psychological damage of being exploited. The bill helps expedite aid to victims and provide training for law enforcement officers in how to help victims and punish traffickers. Although this bill is helpful, there are still a number of areas which need to be addressed. Those most at risk are the homeless and runaways.
IV. CREDIT CARD THEFT PROTECTION
It is possible for a criminal with a card device to get your credit card information simply by operating it within 30 feet of you. You can protect credit cards by wrapping them in aluminum foil. Cards contained within RFID (radio frequency identification) protection cannot be compromised. RFID protection is commercially available either as aluminum cases or as paper sleeves impregnated with aluminum. The Forum is considering selling some of these card protectors. There are two types of card protector. One type protects 2-3 cards (sleeve) while the other one which is thicker holds at least 6-8 credit cards. We would like feedback on interest in the card protectors. The slim card protector would cost $3. If enough people want it, the committee would have to explore the cost of the thicker card protector. If you are interested in purchasing either protector sleeves or the thicker protector from the U.S. Forum, please contact me via email at [email protected].
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representativeshttp://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #136, APRIL 2015
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT UPDATE
K-5 TEACHER OPPORTUNITY
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT UPDATE (ESEA/NCLB)
Senate Bill
(Different versions of this legislation are being crafted in the House and the Senate. The Senate version entitled “Every Child Achieves Act of 2015” has not yet been given a bill number. Among other things this bill maintains the testing of No Child Left Behind, allows states to create their own accountability system, does not allow Title I funds for low income students to follow the student to other public or private schools of their choice, reinstates the 21st century community learning centers (after school program), requires states to identify low performing schools, and increases the number of school counselors and social workers.
House Bill
The Student Success Act (H.R.5) retains current testing in grades 3-8 and high school, eliminates adequate yearly progress (AYP) as well as the basic, proficient and advanced categories. The bill requires reporting by high schools on the high school graduation rate. It limits charter school grants and subgrants to no more than five years. This bill makes a number of changes in distribution of federal funds and mandates limits on how much money can be used for a number of school activities and programs. If passed it would make states and districts ineligible for federal funding if personnel hired refuse to submit to a background check. The background check involves homicide; child abuse or neglect; crimes against children; domestic violence; crimes involving rape or sexual assault; kidnapping; arson; and physical assault, battery, or drug-related offenses committed five years before the individual's criminal background check. This seems to indicate that when hiring personnel, schools should conduct a criminal background check on each individual. The summary of the House bill is fourteen pages long. Those wanting additional information can go to https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/5?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22hr5%22%5D%7D
Assuming both bills are passed by their respective houses, the bills almost certainly will eventually be resolved through a joint committee. Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee chaired the committee which crafted the Senate bill. He worked closely with Senator Patty Murray of Washington. Although initial versions of the bill provided for reducing the number of tests given, this was not present in the final bill. Senator Alexander has been pushing to have the bill brought to a vote in the Senate as soon as possible to avoid it being considered and voted on much later in the session as appropriations bills take precedence over it.
K-5 TEACHER OPPORTUNITY
K-5 elementary school teachers can learn more about using technology in the classroom by attending a free workshop sponsored by the nonprofit organization Code.org where they will receive 6-7 hours of instruction, free classroom supplies and free lunch. For more information about the program and to locate a workshop near you go to http://code.org/educate/k5
****************************************************************************************************
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #135, March 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROBLEM
STUDENT LOAN LEGISLATION
BACKUP CAMERA REQUIREMENT
STATE INITIATED MOVEMENT FOR CIVICS TEST
COMPUTER WEBCAM SUGGESTION
HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROBLEM
The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (S.178) has run into a snag when it was noticed that it contained language which violated the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment was adopted in 1997 and bars the use of federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. Exceptions are for rape, incest or when the life of the mother is endangered. A portion of this law would negate these exceptions.
STUDENT LOAN LEGISLATION
Several bills have been introduced which affect student loans. Because these bills have been introduced so recently, the bill text and bill summary are not currently available. This information should be posted at Congress.gov by early April. S.793 would allow refinancing of students loans to get a lower interest rate. H.R.1511 and S. 809 would “allow a credit against tax for qualified elementary and secondary education tuition.”
BACKUP CAMERA REQUIREMENT
A 2008 law passed by Congress directed the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue a rule requiring new vehicles to be equipped with backup cameras within three years. This law was enacted to prevent drivers from backing over people especially small children; because rear-view and side mirrors often are not adequate to allow the driver to see them. Several organizations entered into a lawsuit against the Department of Transportation because it had not carried out the provisions of the law. As a result of this lawsuit, starting in May 2018 all vehicles will be required to have these cameras. It is estimated that about 100 children are killed every year from this type of accident
STATE INITIATED MOVEMENT FOR CIVICS TEST
Several states are considering having a civics test as a requirement for high school graduation. Arizona and North Dakota have legislated that students must pass a portion of the test administered to immigrants in order to get U.S. citizenship. At least 17 other states are considering something similar as a prerequisite for high school graduation.
COMPUTER WEBCAM SUGGESTION
If you have a webcam linked to your computer, you should be aware that it is possible for someone to remotely turn the camera on. One suggestion is turning the webcam so the lens faces a wall when you are not actively using it,
****************************************************************************************************
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #134, FEBRUARY 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
HELP FOR DYSLEXICS IN READING
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the current version of which is commonly referred to as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is going to be revised in this session of Congress. The major bill is not expected to be introduced until much later this year (possibly sometime this summer). Some other separate bills have been introduced already. A bill which would permit alternate assessments and standards for students with “significant cognitive disabilities” has been introduced in the Senate (S.516). Several other bills seek to increase the number of females and minorities in the STEM fields. At this time bills are being filed and referred to committees. It is interesting that in the Senate the Education Committee Chair [Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)] and the committee’s ranking member [Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)] are working together to formulate the Senate version of ESEA.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is designated as International Women’s History Day by the United Nations. The 2015 UN theme is "Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture It!"
Women have been making strides to become more involved in some nontraditional areas. For example, it is estimated that currently 49% of video game developers are female, which is up from about 19% some years back. Video games often depict scantily clad females; many include violence against female characters (assault and rape), and ascribe to female characters negative attributes such as giggling and sighing. The violence, sexually provocative clothing and ineffectual seeming female video characters affect how young people perceive what is normal and acceptable. With the increasing numbers of women entering the video gaming workforce, this characterization is slowly changing. However, until it is pointed out to them, even female programmers have fallen into the trap of depicting women as weak and wearing sexually provocative garments. The percentage of females who actively participate in video gaming is steadily increasing and higher percentages of female video gamers are found in younger women. An in-depth analysis of females and video gaming can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_and_video_games.
HELP FOR DYSLEXICS IN READING
A font has been developed by a dyslexic adult that helps dyslexic individuals read more easily. The “Dislexie” font puts more emphasis on parts of letters which are different making individual letters more easily distinguishable. It does not cure dyslexia, it simply makes letters more easily distinguishable from one another. For more information and free downloads of this font which is compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, Vista and PowerPoint go to http://www.dyslexiefont.com/
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
****************************************************************************************************
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #133, JANUARY 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
HEAD START PARTNERSHIPS
GOVERNMENT DENTAL INSURANCE
CHEAP GASOLINE
NEW U.S. FORUM WEB SITE
The Elementary And Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the current version of which is commonly referred to as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is going to be revised in this session of Congress. Both the House and Senate committee chairs favor reducing the number of tests given in grades 3-8. There is also some consideration being given to changes in how special education and English as a second language student scores will affect school and district ratings. New bills are currently being written which may substantially change the law. The House bill is expected to be reported out in the next week or two and would be similar to H.R.5 from the last session of Congress. See the toll free number in the contact information at the end of this newsletter to contact your Senators and Representatives.
HEAD START PARTNERSHIPS
$500 million has been appropriated which will be available for new Early Head Start-Child Care (EHS-CC) Partnerships. These grants will allow new or existing Early Head Start programs to partner with local child care centers and family child care providers serving infants and toddlers from low-income families. For a list of the first programs to receive this money and the amount of money allocated to each, go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/early-learning/ehs-cc-partnerships/grant-awardees. Most states seem to have at least one program which is receiving some of these funds.
GOVERNMENT DENTAL INSURANCE
One part of the new health care law which has not been much discussed is the availability of dental insurance. Dental insurance plans are available through the Federal Marketplace as well as through private providers. The dental plans available through the Federal Marketplace may be part of your health insurance with a single provider or separate through another provider. (A REMINDER: If you are not enrolled in either a private or government health insurance plan by February 15, 2015, you will be subject to a penalty when you file income taxes in 2016 for the 2015 calendar year. You are not required to have dental insurance.) For information on dental insurance go to https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/dental-coverage/ For answers to questions you can call 1-800-318-2596 / TTY: 1-855-889-4325. ,Those lines are manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the exception of Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day.
CHEAP GASOLINE
For lowest local gasoline prices in your area go to http://www.gasbuddy.com/ This site is updated regularly giving both location and price of local gasoline.
NEW U.S. FORUM WEB SITE
The U.S. Forum has a new web site which is http://www.usforumdkg.org/ The site has some information about the next National Legislative Seminar which will be held in 2016. In the future the registration form and other information about the seminar can be found there.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
-----------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #132, DECEMBER 2014
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
SOCIAL SECURITY
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM COMMISSION IS NOW LAW
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE NEW CONGRESS
NEW U.S. FORUM WEB SITE
SOCIAL SECURITY
It is expected that several bills which would affect Social Security benefits of retirees will be filed shortly after the new Congress convenes. The reason these bills can be filed so rapidly is that they have already been written but were not acted on in a past session of Congress. Two major issues affecting Social Security benefits which will be addressed are changes in the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax and how the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is calculated.
FICA is a tax imposed on the wages of both employers and employees and provides funding for the Social Security Trust which dispenses Social Security benefits. This tax was imposed on the first $113,700 of gross wages in 2013 and the first $117,000 in 2014. (There is no FICA tax on dividends or earnings other than wages.) One proposed change would be to tax all wages with no cap. This would affect only the very wealthiest wage earners who make up about 1% of the working population and would appreciably increase the amount of money in the Social Security Trust Fund, thus prolonging its viability.
COLA changes the benefit paid to Social Security retirees every year based on changes in the economy. The COLA for 2015 is somewhat lower than it has been in the past due to laws passed in the 2013-14 session of Congress. It has been estimated that the recent change reduced retiree benefits about $70-80 a month from what they would have been under the old system.
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM COMMISSION IS NOW LAW
One of the actions that the lame duck session of Congress took was to pass legislation which would establish an eight member bipartisan commission to produce recommendations for the governance, organizational structure, fundraising, operations and location of a National Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C. President Obama has signed the bill into law. The commission will have 18 months to produce its report which will then be submitted to Congress. Presumably the commission will be appointed in January.
DKG members in North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Utah and Wisconsin were extremely helpful in moving this legislation to its eventual passage in the Senate. The museum staff has acknowledged DKG as a group which greatly aided in the effort to get the legislation passed.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE NEW CONGRESS
Two areas of education which will be addressed in the new session of Congress are changes in No Child Left Behind and changes in the Higher Education Act. We will have to wait to see exactly what changes will be proposed. Topics which have been mentioned are school choice and federal funding. It is anticipated that there will be a number of bills filed early in the new Congress which would impact education.
NEW U.S. FORUM WEB SITE
The U.S. Forum has a new web site which is http://www.usforumdkg.org/ The site has some information about the next National Legislative Seminar which will be held in 2016. In the future the registration form and other information about the seminar can be found there.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROBLEM
STUDENT LOAN LEGISLATION
BACKUP CAMERA REQUIREMENT
STATE INITIATED MOVEMENT FOR CIVICS TEST
COMPUTER WEBCAM SUGGESTION
HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROBLEM
The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (S.178) has run into a snag when it was noticed that it contained language which violated the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment was adopted in 1997 and bars the use of federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. Exceptions are for rape, incest or when the life of the mother is endangered. A portion of this law would negate these exceptions.
STUDENT LOAN LEGISLATION
Several bills have been introduced which affect student loans. Because these bills have been introduced so recently, the bill text and bill summary are not currently available. This information should be posted at Congress.gov by early April. S.793 would allow refinancing of students loans to get a lower interest rate. H.R.1511 and S. 809 would “allow a credit against tax for qualified elementary and secondary education tuition.”
BACKUP CAMERA REQUIREMENT
A 2008 law passed by Congress directed the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue a rule requiring new vehicles to be equipped with backup cameras within three years. This law was enacted to prevent drivers from backing over people especially small children; because rear-view and side mirrors often are not adequate to allow the driver to see them. Several organizations entered into a lawsuit against the Department of Transportation because it had not carried out the provisions of the law. As a result of this lawsuit, starting in May 2018 all vehicles will be required to have these cameras. It is estimated that about 100 children are killed every year from this type of accident
STATE INITIATED MOVEMENT FOR CIVICS TEST
Several states are considering having a civics test as a requirement for high school graduation. Arizona and North Dakota have legislated that students must pass a portion of the test administered to immigrants in order to get U.S. citizenship. At least 17 other states are considering something similar as a prerequisite for high school graduation.
COMPUTER WEBCAM SUGGESTION
If you have a webcam linked to your computer, you should be aware that it is possible for someone to remotely turn the camera on. One suggestion is turning the webcam so the lens faces a wall when you are not actively using it,
****************************************************************************************************
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #134, FEBRUARY 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
HELP FOR DYSLEXICS IN READING
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the current version of which is commonly referred to as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is going to be revised in this session of Congress. The major bill is not expected to be introduced until much later this year (possibly sometime this summer). Some other separate bills have been introduced already. A bill which would permit alternate assessments and standards for students with “significant cognitive disabilities” has been introduced in the Senate (S.516). Several other bills seek to increase the number of females and minorities in the STEM fields. At this time bills are being filed and referred to committees. It is interesting that in the Senate the Education Committee Chair [Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)] and the committee’s ranking member [Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)] are working together to formulate the Senate version of ESEA.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is designated as International Women’s History Day by the United Nations. The 2015 UN theme is "Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture It!"
Women have been making strides to become more involved in some nontraditional areas. For example, it is estimated that currently 49% of video game developers are female, which is up from about 19% some years back. Video games often depict scantily clad females; many include violence against female characters (assault and rape), and ascribe to female characters negative attributes such as giggling and sighing. The violence, sexually provocative clothing and ineffectual seeming female video characters affect how young people perceive what is normal and acceptable. With the increasing numbers of women entering the video gaming workforce, this characterization is slowly changing. However, until it is pointed out to them, even female programmers have fallen into the trap of depicting women as weak and wearing sexually provocative garments. The percentage of females who actively participate in video gaming is steadily increasing and higher percentages of female video gamers are found in younger women. An in-depth analysis of females and video gaming can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_and_video_games.
HELP FOR DYSLEXICS IN READING
A font has been developed by a dyslexic adult that helps dyslexic individuals read more easily. The “Dislexie” font puts more emphasis on parts of letters which are different making individual letters more easily distinguishable. It does not cure dyslexia, it simply makes letters more easily distinguishable from one another. For more information and free downloads of this font which is compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, Vista and PowerPoint go to http://www.dyslexiefont.com/
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
****************************************************************************************************
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #133, JANUARY 2015
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
HEAD START PARTNERSHIPS
GOVERNMENT DENTAL INSURANCE
CHEAP GASOLINE
NEW U.S. FORUM WEB SITE
The Elementary And Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the current version of which is commonly referred to as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is going to be revised in this session of Congress. Both the House and Senate committee chairs favor reducing the number of tests given in grades 3-8. There is also some consideration being given to changes in how special education and English as a second language student scores will affect school and district ratings. New bills are currently being written which may substantially change the law. The House bill is expected to be reported out in the next week or two and would be similar to H.R.5 from the last session of Congress. See the toll free number in the contact information at the end of this newsletter to contact your Senators and Representatives.
HEAD START PARTNERSHIPS
$500 million has been appropriated which will be available for new Early Head Start-Child Care (EHS-CC) Partnerships. These grants will allow new or existing Early Head Start programs to partner with local child care centers and family child care providers serving infants and toddlers from low-income families. For a list of the first programs to receive this money and the amount of money allocated to each, go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/early-learning/ehs-cc-partnerships/grant-awardees. Most states seem to have at least one program which is receiving some of these funds.
GOVERNMENT DENTAL INSURANCE
One part of the new health care law which has not been much discussed is the availability of dental insurance. Dental insurance plans are available through the Federal Marketplace as well as through private providers. The dental plans available through the Federal Marketplace may be part of your health insurance with a single provider or separate through another provider. (A REMINDER: If you are not enrolled in either a private or government health insurance plan by February 15, 2015, you will be subject to a penalty when you file income taxes in 2016 for the 2015 calendar year. You are not required to have dental insurance.) For information on dental insurance go to https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/dental-coverage/ For answers to questions you can call 1-800-318-2596 / TTY: 1-855-889-4325. ,Those lines are manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the exception of Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day.
CHEAP GASOLINE
For lowest local gasoline prices in your area go to http://www.gasbuddy.com/ This site is updated regularly giving both location and price of local gasoline.
NEW U.S. FORUM WEB SITE
The U.S. Forum has a new web site which is http://www.usforumdkg.org/ The site has some information about the next National Legislative Seminar which will be held in 2016. In the future the registration form and other information about the seminar can be found there.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
-----------------------------------------------
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #132, DECEMBER 2014
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
SOCIAL SECURITY
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM COMMISSION IS NOW LAW
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE NEW CONGRESS
NEW U.S. FORUM WEB SITE
SOCIAL SECURITY
It is expected that several bills which would affect Social Security benefits of retirees will be filed shortly after the new Congress convenes. The reason these bills can be filed so rapidly is that they have already been written but were not acted on in a past session of Congress. Two major issues affecting Social Security benefits which will be addressed are changes in the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax and how the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is calculated.
FICA is a tax imposed on the wages of both employers and employees and provides funding for the Social Security Trust which dispenses Social Security benefits. This tax was imposed on the first $113,700 of gross wages in 2013 and the first $117,000 in 2014. (There is no FICA tax on dividends or earnings other than wages.) One proposed change would be to tax all wages with no cap. This would affect only the very wealthiest wage earners who make up about 1% of the working population and would appreciably increase the amount of money in the Social Security Trust Fund, thus prolonging its viability.
COLA changes the benefit paid to Social Security retirees every year based on changes in the economy. The COLA for 2015 is somewhat lower than it has been in the past due to laws passed in the 2013-14 session of Congress. It has been estimated that the recent change reduced retiree benefits about $70-80 a month from what they would have been under the old system.
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM COMMISSION IS NOW LAW
One of the actions that the lame duck session of Congress took was to pass legislation which would establish an eight member bipartisan commission to produce recommendations for the governance, organizational structure, fundraising, operations and location of a National Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C. President Obama has signed the bill into law. The commission will have 18 months to produce its report which will then be submitted to Congress. Presumably the commission will be appointed in January.
DKG members in North Dakota, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Utah and Wisconsin were extremely helpful in moving this legislation to its eventual passage in the Senate. The museum staff has acknowledged DKG as a group which greatly aided in the effort to get the legislation passed.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE NEW CONGRESS
Two areas of education which will be addressed in the new session of Congress are changes in No Child Left Behind and changes in the Higher Education Act. We will have to wait to see exactly what changes will be proposed. Topics which have been mentioned are school choice and federal funding. It is anticipated that there will be a number of bills filed early in the new Congress which would impact education.
NEW U.S. FORUM WEB SITE
The U.S. Forum has a new web site which is http://www.usforumdkg.org/ The site has some information about the next National Legislative Seminar which will be held in 2016. In the future the registration form and other information about the seminar can be found there.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #126, JUNE 2014
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
STUDENT LOAN REFINANCING BILL FILIBUSTERED
STUDENT LOAN REFINANCING BILL FILIBUSTERED
Senate bill 2432 which would allow students to refinance loans at the present lower loan rates was filibustered. The cloture vote to attempt to end the filibuster failed by a slim margin. Republican senators who voted to end the filibuster were Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Bob Corker (R- TN). If you reside in Maine, Alaska or Tennessee, you may want to contact the senator from your state and thank him/her for the effort to get this bill passed.
A cloture vote to end a filibuster and bring a bill to the floor for a vote requires 60 votes. The vote to pass a bill requires only 50 votes. If the filibuster can be broken, there are enough votes to pass the bill.
ACTION NEEDED. If you or someone you know is interested in passing legislation to allow student loan refinancing call 1-866-327-8670 (a toll free number). Ask the operator who answers to connect you to your senator’s office. Urge your senator to support legislative action which will allow the refinancing of student loans to current lower interest loan rates. If they cannot support the bill currently under consideration, urge them to submit a bill which they can support.
==========================================================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #125, MAY 2014
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
ALL WOMEN SENATORS COSPONSOR NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM BILL
REFINANCING STUDENT LOAN
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
ALL WOMEN SENATORS COSPONSOR NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM BILL
Largely due to the efforts of DKG members of the U.S. Forum the last four women senators have signed on to cosponsor the bill authorizing a commission to study the feasibility of building and maintaining a National Women’s History Museum in Washington, DC. The next steps in bringing this about are being discussed.
REFINANCING STUDENT LOANS
Recently introduced legislation (S.2292) by Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts would allow those with outstanding student loans which were obtained at higher interest rates in the past to refinance the loan at the lower interest rates now available. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
At the National Legislative Seminar (NLS) we heard from several groups who are working to combat human trafficking. Although the term human trafficking is usually thought of as referring to the sex trade, it is also responsible for forcing people into tasks. For a more complete explanation of this see Issue #111, March 2013 at the Forum web site,http://www.deltakappagamma.org/US-Forum/US%20FORUM/files/archive-2013.html.
Some groups are working to educate students about human trafficking. With the availability of computer services more and more young people are being exposed to possible victimization by human traffickers. Education programs are coming to schools in the form of brochures, videos, and speakers to make children aware of the dangers to which they may be exposed through internet sites and other mass communication media. For more information about what resources are available for schools, go to http://www.polarisproject.org/what-we-do/national-human-trafficking-hotline/the-nhtrc/overview. Specific organizations may work to identify and free victims other groups work to ameliorate the psychological damage to victims and enable them reintegrate meaningfully into society. Some organizations which seek to combat human trafficking are ECPAT USA, Fair Girls, Protect Our Defenders, and Project Polaris. (For a further list of organizations based throughout the world go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organizations_opposing_human_trafficking.
There are1708 bills in the current Congressional session dealing with human trafficking. These bills range from prosecuting those responsible for human trafficking, to reporting suspected traffickers to authorities, to seeking justice for victims through prosecution of traffickers. It is estimated that there are currently over 100,000 victims in the US.
Nebraska Comes Through Big Time
Our Nebraska members deserve a huge pat on the back. On May 7, 2014 the last of the women U.S. Senators, Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska, signed on as a cosponsor of Senate Bill 398 which would establish a commission to study the creation of a National Women's History Museum.
Hats off to our Nebraska DKG members.
The U.S. Forum of Delta Kappa Gamma has joined with the National Women's History Museum in their attempt to get a commission established which would study the feasibility of having a building in or near the National Mall in Washington, DC.
We sent out our first message to members in New York, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota in December asking members in those states to contact their woman U.S. Senator and request that she sign on to cosponsor S.B.398 which is the bill concerning this issue. As of January 27, 2014 Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York added her name to the list of cosponsors of the bill. A second request was sent to members in the other three states on April 1 (no fooling). As of April 8, 2014 Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin signed on as a cosponsor of the bill. We still need for Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska to cosponsor the bill.
In order to express your interest in any legislation you need to call 1-866-327-8670 (toll free) and ask to be connected to the office of your legislator. Tell the person who answers what you are calling about and urge your congressperson to take action on your behalf. We have been told that when five people from the congressperson's electorate call that the legislator will usually respond by doing what was asked.
Congratulations to New York and Wisconsin on getting your senators to cosponsor the bill. We hope that Nebraska and North Dakota are not far behind.
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
STUDENT LOAN REFINANCING BILL FILIBUSTERED
STUDENT LOAN REFINANCING BILL FILIBUSTERED
Senate bill 2432 which would allow students to refinance loans at the present lower loan rates was filibustered. The cloture vote to attempt to end the filibuster failed by a slim margin. Republican senators who voted to end the filibuster were Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Bob Corker (R- TN). If you reside in Maine, Alaska or Tennessee, you may want to contact the senator from your state and thank him/her for the effort to get this bill passed.
A cloture vote to end a filibuster and bring a bill to the floor for a vote requires 60 votes. The vote to pass a bill requires only 50 votes. If the filibuster can be broken, there are enough votes to pass the bill.
ACTION NEEDED. If you or someone you know is interested in passing legislation to allow student loan refinancing call 1-866-327-8670 (a toll free number). Ask the operator who answers to connect you to your senator’s office. Urge your senator to support legislative action which will allow the refinancing of student loans to current lower interest loan rates. If they cannot support the bill currently under consideration, urge them to submit a bill which they can support.
==========================================================================================================================
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #125, MAY 2014
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
ALL WOMEN SENATORS COSPONSOR NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM BILL
REFINANCING STUDENT LOAN
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
ALL WOMEN SENATORS COSPONSOR NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM BILL
Largely due to the efforts of DKG members of the U.S. Forum the last four women senators have signed on to cosponsor the bill authorizing a commission to study the feasibility of building and maintaining a National Women’s History Museum in Washington, DC. The next steps in bringing this about are being discussed.
REFINANCING STUDENT LOANS
Recently introduced legislation (S.2292) by Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts would allow those with outstanding student loans which were obtained at higher interest rates in the past to refinance the loan at the lower interest rates now available. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
At the National Legislative Seminar (NLS) we heard from several groups who are working to combat human trafficking. Although the term human trafficking is usually thought of as referring to the sex trade, it is also responsible for forcing people into tasks. For a more complete explanation of this see Issue #111, March 2013 at the Forum web site,http://www.deltakappagamma.org/US-Forum/US%20FORUM/files/archive-2013.html.
Some groups are working to educate students about human trafficking. With the availability of computer services more and more young people are being exposed to possible victimization by human traffickers. Education programs are coming to schools in the form of brochures, videos, and speakers to make children aware of the dangers to which they may be exposed through internet sites and other mass communication media. For more information about what resources are available for schools, go to http://www.polarisproject.org/what-we-do/national-human-trafficking-hotline/the-nhtrc/overview. Specific organizations may work to identify and free victims other groups work to ameliorate the psychological damage to victims and enable them reintegrate meaningfully into society. Some organizations which seek to combat human trafficking are ECPAT USA, Fair Girls, Protect Our Defenders, and Project Polaris. (For a further list of organizations based throughout the world go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organizations_opposing_human_trafficking.
There are1708 bills in the current Congressional session dealing with human trafficking. These bills range from prosecuting those responsible for human trafficking, to reporting suspected traffickers to authorities, to seeking justice for victims through prosecution of traffickers. It is estimated that there are currently over 100,000 victims in the US.
Nebraska Comes Through Big Time
Our Nebraska members deserve a huge pat on the back. On May 7, 2014 the last of the women U.S. Senators, Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska, signed on as a cosponsor of Senate Bill 398 which would establish a commission to study the creation of a National Women's History Museum.
Hats off to our Nebraska DKG members.
The U.S. Forum of Delta Kappa Gamma has joined with the National Women's History Museum in their attempt to get a commission established which would study the feasibility of having a building in or near the National Mall in Washington, DC.
We sent out our first message to members in New York, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota in December asking members in those states to contact their woman U.S. Senator and request that she sign on to cosponsor S.B.398 which is the bill concerning this issue. As of January 27, 2014 Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York added her name to the list of cosponsors of the bill. A second request was sent to members in the other three states on April 1 (no fooling). As of April 8, 2014 Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin signed on as a cosponsor of the bill. We still need for Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska to cosponsor the bill.
In order to express your interest in any legislation you need to call 1-866-327-8670 (toll free) and ask to be connected to the office of your legislator. Tell the person who answers what you are calling about and urge your congressperson to take action on your behalf. We have been told that when five people from the congressperson's electorate call that the legislator will usually respond by doing what was asked.
Congratulations to New York and Wisconsin on getting your senators to cosponsor the bill. We hope that Nebraska and North Dakota are not far behind.
DU.S. FORUM CONNECTION #123, MARCH 2014
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
================================================================================================================================
IN THIS ISSUE
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM (NWHM)
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
NWHM MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
DKG’s National Legislative Seminar (NLS) was held March 16-19 at Arlington, VA in the Washington, DC area with 76 attendees. Topics covered included human trafficking, The Paycheck Fairness Act, STEM, GPO/WEP (Government Pension Offset/Windfall Elimination Provision), teacher licensure, National Women’s History Museum, violence against women, hunger in America and healthcare for women and children.
If you live in or are contemplating retiring in any of the states listed at the end of this paragraph, it is in your long term best interest to find out how GPO/WEP will affect you upon retirement -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Texas. Occupations most likely to be impacted are teachers, military retirees, firefighters and police as well as the spouses of those in any of these occupations who are or have ever been employed. There are 12 other states in which retirees are also impacted but not to the extent of the 15 listed above. For some specific information on GPO/WEP go to http://www.massretirees.com/wepgpo-explained
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM
Joan Bradley Wages, President and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum, spoke to those attending the NLS about the struggle to get Congress to enact legislation which would allow the National Women’s History Museum to build the museum on the National Mall. There is only one spot remaining on the mall. Mrs. Wages described the decade long attempt to get either a building or a building site to house the museum. Presently the emphasis is on getting three women U.S. senators to cosponsor the Senate bill (S.398), so that the women in the Senate can present a united front in support of the effort to move forward to plan and build the museum. The women senators who have not currently signed on as cosponsors are Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Senator Heidi Heitcamp of North Dakota. Our New York members were instrumental in getting Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to sign on as a cosponsor in January 2014. Although Mrs. Wages brought a number of her organization’s membership forms to the meeting, some attendees were unable to get a form. If you want to join this effort to get a museum, use the membership form given below.
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
The Paycheck Fairness Act has been introduced and considered in Congress for over a decade. It is designed to make it easier to find out what salaries are comparable in order to determine salary discrimination. This bill passed the House in 2009 and was combined with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (see below) before being sent to the Senate for consideration. The Senate separated the two bills, passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, but did not pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.
In the current session of Congress (2013-14) the bill was sponsored by Representative Rosa DeLauro as H.R.207. It was referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections on April 23, 2013 and currently has 207 cosponsors. It was sponsored in the Senate by Senator Barbara Mikulski as S.84 who introduced it January 23, 2013, and it was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The Senate bill currently has 52 cosponsors. Although this is a majority of senators, without 60 senators voting to close debate and have a vote on the bill, it cannot be brought to the floor for a vote.
Without the Paycheck Fairness Act it is difficult or impossible to determine whether a person is being unfairly paid for work done when compared to the pay of a worker in a comparable position with comparable responsibilities. Workers most impacted by the act would be women and minorities.
2014 ARCHIVES listed below (for US Forum 2013 archives and more click here)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
~click here to learn more at our International Site
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 90,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #122, FEBRUARY 2014
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
===========================================================================================================================
IN THIS ISSUE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
A CRITICAL MEDICARE ISSUE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
There are currently several hundred bills under consideration in this session of Congress which address human trafficking in some way. The majority of these bills address sexual exploitation of trafficked victims particularly those under the age of 18. The Violence Against Women Act is aimed at punishing those who prey upon women. Other legislation under consideration deals with reporting, identifying or studying the problem. Additionally, a number of organizations seek to address the situation in some way. Some of these groups are Operation Polaris which is mainly aimed at education of the public about the insidious ways in which trafficking affects victims. FAIR Girls takes a multi-pronged approach by sponsoring educational workshops on the subject and also providing services to victims in the U.S and other countries. One of these services provides occupational therapy and counseling to victims. Jewelry made by victims is for sale to the public and is available through http://fairgirls.earthcare.com/. Part of the money raised through sale of jewelry is used to finance counseling for victims.
A CRITICAL MEDICARE ISSUE
(This problem was recently covered in an NBC Evening News segment.)
Question: What is the difference between simply being “admitted” to a hospital and “admitted for observation”? Answer: Possibly thousands of dollars!
“Admitted for observation” is not covered by Medicare Part A because this is not considered a traditional hospital admission. If, as a result of this classification, a patient requires rehabilitation, not only is the hospital stay not reimbursable, but any rehabilitation costs are not covered by Medicare either. Also, medication prescribed while in the hospital when “admitted for observation” is not covered by Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage). Finally, if the patient “admitted for observation” is subsequently admitted to a nursing home, the cost of the nursing home care may not be covered or reimbursed; because the person was not considered to have been admitted to the hospital.
If you or a loved one is admitted to a hospital, the status “admitted” or “admitted for observation” is determined by the admitting doctor when the patient enters the hospital. Failure to get this clarified IMMEDIATELY during the admission process can be extremely expensive. Even if the status is changed from “admitted for observation” to “admitted” after the patient enters the hospital, there can be dire financial problems.
For more information on this subject go to http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/ which is the site of The Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc. and/or http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/May/03/lawsuit-challenges-observation-rules-in-Medicare.aspx. The Center for Medicare Advocacy can be reached by telephone at (860) 456-7790. A New York Times blog estimates that “the number of seniors entering the hospital for observation increased 69 percent over five years, to 1.6 million in 2011.”
=============================================================================================================
IN THIS ISSUE
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES APPROACH
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
LAWS ENACTED BY THIS CONGRESS
STEM EDUCATION LEGISLATION
OFFICIAL 2013 FLAG FLYING DAYS
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES APPROACH
The National Legislative Seminar (NLS) organized by DKG’s U.S. Forum Committee occurs biennially. The next NLS will be held March 16th-19th, 2014 at the Holiday Inn, National Airport, 2650 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202. The NLS registration form and hotel contact information are available at http://www.deltakappagamma.org/US-Forum/File%20Sharing/files/2014%20NLS%20Reg%20Form.pdf. After February 16, 2014 the registration fee will increase from $160 to $185. After February 14, 2014 the room rates will also increase. Room reservations should be made directly with the hotel. (telephone: 703.684.7200)
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
In essence the Paycheck Fairness Act mandates that employees with equal qualifications and experience should be paid the same whether male or female. Similar pieces of legislation have been introduced in Congress for over a decade. In this session the bill numbers are H.R. 377 and S. 84. An indication of the group pushing this legislation is that the House bill was introduced by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and the Senate bill was introduced by Senator Barbara Mikulshi (D-MD). The House bill has 207 cosponsors all Democrats; while the Senate bill has 50 cosponsors. With the exception of Bernie Sanders who is an independent, all Senate cosponsors are Democrats also. This should not be a party issue. To see whether your Representative is a cosponsor on this bill go tohttp://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/377 click on the 207 in blue cosponsors.
To see whether your Senator is a cosponsor of the Senate bill go to
http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/84 and click on the 50 in bluecosponsors
Both bills are currently in committee or subcommittee.
LAWS ENACTED BY THIS CONGRESS
This session of Congress which convened in January 2013 has passed 78 pieces of legislation which have been signed into law. In addition to bills which deal with the budget and the debt ceiling most are mundane without much impact on the average citizen. An example of this is changing the name of the Dryden Flight Research Center to the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and renaming the Western Aeronautical Test Range the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range. One very important piece of legislation which was passed after a good deal of controversy was the Violence Against Women Act.
A listing of all these new laws can be found at http://beta.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22congress%22%3A%22113%22%2C%22source%22%3A%22legislation%22%2C%22bill-status%22%3A%22Became+Law%22%7D&page=1
STEM EDUCATION LEGISLATION
STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education seems to be a popular subject in this session of Congress. Currently there are 2,029 bills which address STEM education in some way. As a result of the transition from The Library of Congress site (http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php) to the Congress.gov site (http://beta.congress.gov/), which is now occurring, abstracts of these bills are not available.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE http://bit.ly/DKGUSF
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
This page was last update November 2019.
Contact the Webmaster.
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
================================================================================================================================
IN THIS ISSUE
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM (NWHM)
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
NWHM MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR
DKG’s National Legislative Seminar (NLS) was held March 16-19 at Arlington, VA in the Washington, DC area with 76 attendees. Topics covered included human trafficking, The Paycheck Fairness Act, STEM, GPO/WEP (Government Pension Offset/Windfall Elimination Provision), teacher licensure, National Women’s History Museum, violence against women, hunger in America and healthcare for women and children.
If you live in or are contemplating retiring in any of the states listed at the end of this paragraph, it is in your long term best interest to find out how GPO/WEP will affect you upon retirement -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Texas. Occupations most likely to be impacted are teachers, military retirees, firefighters and police as well as the spouses of those in any of these occupations who are or have ever been employed. There are 12 other states in which retirees are also impacted but not to the extent of the 15 listed above. For some specific information on GPO/WEP go to http://www.massretirees.com/wepgpo-explained
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM
Joan Bradley Wages, President and CEO of the National Women’s History Museum, spoke to those attending the NLS about the struggle to get Congress to enact legislation which would allow the National Women’s History Museum to build the museum on the National Mall. There is only one spot remaining on the mall. Mrs. Wages described the decade long attempt to get either a building or a building site to house the museum. Presently the emphasis is on getting three women U.S. senators to cosponsor the Senate bill (S.398), so that the women in the Senate can present a united front in support of the effort to move forward to plan and build the museum. The women senators who have not currently signed on as cosponsors are Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Senator Heidi Heitcamp of North Dakota. Our New York members were instrumental in getting Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to sign on as a cosponsor in January 2014. Although Mrs. Wages brought a number of her organization’s membership forms to the meeting, some attendees were unable to get a form. If you want to join this effort to get a museum, use the membership form given below.
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
The Paycheck Fairness Act has been introduced and considered in Congress for over a decade. It is designed to make it easier to find out what salaries are comparable in order to determine salary discrimination. This bill passed the House in 2009 and was combined with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (see below) before being sent to the Senate for consideration. The Senate separated the two bills, passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, but did not pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.
In the current session of Congress (2013-14) the bill was sponsored by Representative Rosa DeLauro as H.R.207. It was referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections on April 23, 2013 and currently has 207 cosponsors. It was sponsored in the Senate by Senator Barbara Mikulski as S.84 who introduced it January 23, 2013, and it was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The Senate bill currently has 52 cosponsors. Although this is a majority of senators, without 60 senators voting to close debate and have a vote on the bill, it cannot be brought to the floor for a vote.
Without the Paycheck Fairness Act it is difficult or impossible to determine whether a person is being unfairly paid for work done when compared to the pay of a worker in a comparable position with comparable responsibilities. Workers most impacted by the act would be women and minorities.
2014 ARCHIVES listed below (for US Forum 2013 archives and more click here)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
~click here to learn more at our International Site
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 90,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to [email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #122, FEBRUARY 2014
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children. How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to[email protected]. We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
===========================================================================================================================
IN THIS ISSUE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
A CRITICAL MEDICARE ISSUE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
There are currently several hundred bills under consideration in this session of Congress which address human trafficking in some way. The majority of these bills address sexual exploitation of trafficked victims particularly those under the age of 18. The Violence Against Women Act is aimed at punishing those who prey upon women. Other legislation under consideration deals with reporting, identifying or studying the problem. Additionally, a number of organizations seek to address the situation in some way. Some of these groups are Operation Polaris which is mainly aimed at education of the public about the insidious ways in which trafficking affects victims. FAIR Girls takes a multi-pronged approach by sponsoring educational workshops on the subject and also providing services to victims in the U.S and other countries. One of these services provides occupational therapy and counseling to victims. Jewelry made by victims is for sale to the public and is available through http://fairgirls.earthcare.com/. Part of the money raised through sale of jewelry is used to finance counseling for victims.
A CRITICAL MEDICARE ISSUE
(This problem was recently covered in an NBC Evening News segment.)
Question: What is the difference between simply being “admitted” to a hospital and “admitted for observation”? Answer: Possibly thousands of dollars!
“Admitted for observation” is not covered by Medicare Part A because this is not considered a traditional hospital admission. If, as a result of this classification, a patient requires rehabilitation, not only is the hospital stay not reimbursable, but any rehabilitation costs are not covered by Medicare either. Also, medication prescribed while in the hospital when “admitted for observation” is not covered by Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage). Finally, if the patient “admitted for observation” is subsequently admitted to a nursing home, the cost of the nursing home care may not be covered or reimbursed; because the person was not considered to have been admitted to the hospital.
If you or a loved one is admitted to a hospital, the status “admitted” or “admitted for observation” is determined by the admitting doctor when the patient enters the hospital. Failure to get this clarified IMMEDIATELY during the admission process can be extremely expensive. Even if the status is changed from “admitted for observation” to “admitted” after the patient enters the hospital, there can be dire financial problems.
For more information on this subject go to http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/ which is the site of The Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc. and/or http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/May/03/lawsuit-challenges-observation-rules-in-Medicare.aspx. The Center for Medicare Advocacy can be reached by telephone at (860) 456-7790. A New York Times blog estimates that “the number of seniors entering the hospital for observation increased 69 percent over five years, to 1.6 million in 2011.”
=============================================================================================================
IN THIS ISSUE
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES APPROACH
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
LAWS ENACTED BY THIS CONGRESS
STEM EDUCATION LEGISLATION
OFFICIAL 2013 FLAG FLYING DAYS
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SEMINAR DEADLINES APPROACH
The National Legislative Seminar (NLS) organized by DKG’s U.S. Forum Committee occurs biennially. The next NLS will be held March 16th-19th, 2014 at the Holiday Inn, National Airport, 2650 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202. The NLS registration form and hotel contact information are available at http://www.deltakappagamma.org/US-Forum/File%20Sharing/files/2014%20NLS%20Reg%20Form.pdf. After February 16, 2014 the registration fee will increase from $160 to $185. After February 14, 2014 the room rates will also increase. Room reservations should be made directly with the hotel. (telephone: 703.684.7200)
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
In essence the Paycheck Fairness Act mandates that employees with equal qualifications and experience should be paid the same whether male or female. Similar pieces of legislation have been introduced in Congress for over a decade. In this session the bill numbers are H.R. 377 and S. 84. An indication of the group pushing this legislation is that the House bill was introduced by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and the Senate bill was introduced by Senator Barbara Mikulshi (D-MD). The House bill has 207 cosponsors all Democrats; while the Senate bill has 50 cosponsors. With the exception of Bernie Sanders who is an independent, all Senate cosponsors are Democrats also. This should not be a party issue. To see whether your Representative is a cosponsor on this bill go tohttp://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/377 click on the 207 in blue cosponsors.
To see whether your Senator is a cosponsor of the Senate bill go to
http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/84 and click on the 50 in bluecosponsors
Both bills are currently in committee or subcommittee.
LAWS ENACTED BY THIS CONGRESS
This session of Congress which convened in January 2013 has passed 78 pieces of legislation which have been signed into law. In addition to bills which deal with the budget and the debt ceiling most are mundane without much impact on the average citizen. An example of this is changing the name of the Dryden Flight Research Center to the Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center and renaming the Western Aeronautical Test Range the Hugh L. Dryden Aeronautical Test Range. One very important piece of legislation which was passed after a good deal of controversy was the Violence Against Women Act.
A listing of all these new laws can be found at http://beta.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22congress%22%3A%22113%22%2C%22source%22%3A%22legislation%22%2C%22bill-status%22%3A%22Became+Law%22%7D&page=1
STEM EDUCATION LEGISLATION
STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education seems to be a popular subject in this session of Congress. Currently there are 2,029 bills which address STEM education in some way. As a result of the transition from The Library of Congress site (http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php) to the Congress.gov site (http://beta.congress.gov/), which is now occurring, abstracts of these bills are not available.
****************************************************************************************************
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online athttp://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE http://bit.ly/DKGUSF
****************************************************************************************************
CONTACT ADDRESSES FOR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTACT INFORMATION can be obtained through Congressional Switchboard 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number]. You can contact your Congressman and Senator through this number without paying long distance charges.
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.
This page was last update November 2019.
Contact the Webmaster.
