May Newsletter



Monday, May 1st, 2017


 

May 2017 Newsletter

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In this Issue

1. Sign up to host your own event
2. Re-Cap NFWL in the States
3. Learn More about Policy with Pew
4. Women’s Health Week
5.
Share Your Legislation
6. Keep Up with NFWL

Spotlight on: Event Toolkits

Looking for an event to host in your community? Our event toolkits, part of Grab ‘n Go programming, make planning events easy. We send you all the materials you need to plan your event. All you need to do is pick a time and date!

Spotlight On: Event Toolkits

*FEATURED Program of the Month*

NFWL and Google’s Made with Code are partnering to bring Hidden Figures Viewing and Coding Parties to teen girls ages 13-18 across the country. We already have events planned in several states and want to add your state to the list! We will send you a toolkit, code to access the movie, and canvas tote bags.

Spark young girls’ interest in STEM fields with this uplifting children’s story. Download the toolkit to bring this event to an elementary school in your district. We will even send you a free copy of the book once your event date is confirmed.

The documentary film, Miss Representation, covers women’s representation in press and raises important questions about how female politicians are portrayed in the media. We will send you all the materials you need, including a DVD, to host your own movie night for your colleagues or constituents.

Our Alice Paul Movie Night, featuring a screening of the film Iron Jawed Angels, is back by popular demand! Over 1,000 people across the nation have attended one of these signature NFWL movie nights. We will send you the toolkit and DVD to help you bring this popular event to your community.

NFWL in the States

Phoenix, Arizona
On April 5, NFWL Arizona State Director Representative Michelle Ugenti-Rita, Representative Brenda Barton, Senator Katie Hobbs, and Representative Maria Syms co-hosted a Dome Tour luncheon at the State Capitol. Director of Arizona’s Department of Veterans’ Services, Colonel Wanda Wright, spoke about the state’s work regarding women veterans. Also in attendance, an Army veteran herself, NFWL Board Member Georgia State Representative Sandra Scott shared her NFWL experience and her work on veterans’ affairs. Arizona Public Service and GJJAMS Foundation sponsored the afternoon event.

Policy with Pew

Join NFWL and the policy experts at the Pew Charitable Trusts for an exclusive Policy with Pew Call on May 9 from 2:00-2:30pm EST. The 30-minute call will examine the evidence-based policymaking discussed in the article below, and will include plenty of time for Q & A. All elected women are invited to participate. Click here for more information and RSVP to allison@womenlegislators.org.

New report finds most states use evidence-based policymaking
By Sara Dube and Elizabeth Davies

Evidence-based policymaking—the systematic use of research to guide policy and budget decisions—is growing in popularity in states across the country. When implemented effectively, this approach can help state and local government leaders make the most of limited taxpayer dollars by helping them identify, fund, and sustain programs that have shown to produce results.

While some states and local governments use evidence to inform decisions, it is not yet the status quo. Too often, state and county leaders make policy and budget decisions based on anecdote instead of evidence, often because they lack the necessary data to make more informed ones. Without information about the cost of and evidence behind public programs, lawmakers cannot ensure that public funds are being well-spent.

Some states are leading the way in adopting a more evidence-based approach to policymaking. In a new report, the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative identifies five states—Washington, Utah, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Oregon—as leaders in this field. These states demonstrated the most frequent, advanced use of processes and tools for incorporating evidence in policy and budget decisions. Encouragingly, the report finds that nearly all states have in place some evidence-based policymaking practices – though the report also finds ample room for improvement.

The report examines whether and how states are implementing evidence-based policymaking actions across a range of policy areas, including criminal and juvenile justice, child welfare, and behavioral health. The report ultimately categorizes all 50 state and the District of Columbia into one of four categories: leading, established, modest, and trailing. More information about the report can be found on the Pew website.

The Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative, a project of Pew and the MacArthur Foundation, works with states and counties around the country to implement an innovative evidence-based policymaking approach to advance the use of evidence in policy and funding decisions. For more information about the project, please contact Sara Dube.

Sara Dube directs the Pew-MacArthur Results First initiative. Elizabeth Davies is a principal associate on the project and co-led the 50-state study of evidence-based policymaking.

Policy Feature: Women’s Health Week 2017

May 14-20, 2017 is Women’s Health Week. Many of our members prioritize initiatives to improve women’s health and their access to quality healthcare. See what our women are working on below.

What are you working on?

One of the greatest results from elected women coming together is the tone they set: the bipartisan collaboration, the sharing of legislative ideas, and the way they govern, lead, and work together. As part of our mission to help facilitate the exchange of diverse legislative ideas between elected women, we’re establishing a shared legislation catalog on our website.

If you have legislation (passed or introduced) addressing a current issue of regional or national importance, please share it with us!

Share My Legislation

Keeping Up with NFWL

April 26 brought NFWL to Minneapolis, MN to kickstart planning for our 2017 Annual Conference, which will also be held in Minneapolis November 14-18. We met with Minnesota’s elected women to hear their ideas about how to make this year’s conference the best one yet. Thank you to everyone who met with us at Forepaugh’s Restaurant for our evening reception. Looking forward to seeing you all again in November!
On April 22, NFWL Executive Director Jody Thomas traveled to Dallas, Texas for a conference on civil discourse, hosted by our partners at Bridge Alliance and the National Institute for Civil Discourse. Jody spoke to the group, unveiling a new partnership that we are excited to announce in the coming weeks.
On April 18, Arkansas passed a new human trafficking law, which outlines that truck drivers must take a certified human trafficking prevention course to receive a Class A driver’s license. This law was sponsored by Representative Charlotte Douglas, who returned home with the idea following NFWL’s 2016 Human Trafficking Summit. Congratulations to Representative Charlotte Douglas and NFWL Arkansas State Director Senator Linda Collins-Smith on this legislative milestone. Click here to read more!
April 5 was an exciting day for NFWL, as we hosted our first Happy Hour at the Nuclear Energy Institute’s offices in Washington, D.C. During the event, NFWL was proud to share what we are working on with our private sector partners. Stay tuned for some new partnerships that will bring both new faces and new programs to NFWL.
NFWL spent Equal Pay Day, April 4, in Vermont, where we watched Governor Phil Scott sign the Equal Pay Day Proclamation. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet Vermont’s women legislators and witness a significant moment in the state’s history.

 


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