Women's History Month Honorees

At the end of March, we asked our members to think about the women in their lives who have supported and inspired them. We quickly began to receive messages telling us about several women who are creating positive change and impacting the world for good. Listed below are the names of some of these women. Take a moment, read through them, and then think of a woman in YOUR life who has made a positive impact. Send her a message, call her, or pay her a visit to tell her "thank you".  You can also click the image or button below and make a donation to our organization in her name so that her impact continues to grow. 

Thank you, and let's keep making HERstory!

SB198, the Indiana Hate Crimes Bill, is not a step forward. Women4Change urges Gov. Holcomb to veto this bill.

Media contact: Alysa Villelli

Email: Alysa@Women4ChangeIndiana.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 2, 2019

Indianapolis, IN — SB198 does not cover all Hoosiers and it omits some of our state's most vulnerable targets of hate crimes. Also, Women4Change agrees with our community partner, ACLU, that the wording of this bill is so vague that it may be unconstitutional and will certainly lead to numerous lawsuits over First Amendment rights. 

A hate crimes bill is needed to protect and advance the rights of all Hoosiers. Unfortunately this legislation falls far short of that goal. We ask the Governor to veto this bill. Women4Change pledges to fight alongside of him to pass future legislation that is clear, compassionate and can withstand challenges by the courts. 

How do you thank the women in your life?

Whether it be with a card, flowers, telephone call, or hand-written sonnet, there can be no doubt: it's important to thank the women in your life for all they contribute--perhaps now, more than ever. Novelist, poet, and playwright Gertrude Stein summed it up succinctly when she observed, "Silent gratitude isn't very much use to anyone."

To be honest, it can be a little intimidating to find ways to adequately express our gratitude to our supporters because what you provide is so critical to our ability to make change. Every cornerstone of progress and change in women's history was made possible by individuals who saw the potential of women to challenge the status quo, lead by example, and achieve greatness on a scale thought to be unobtainable. Marie Curie, who became the first woman to receive a Noble Prize in 1903, had an agreement with her sister, Bronislawa, to provide financial assistance during Bronislawa's medical studies, in exchange for similar assistance during her own schooling two years later. Three years after the Girl Scouts of America was founded, the organization desperately needed funds, so its founder, Juliette Gordon Low, famously sold her wedding pearls to keep the organization afloat, ultimately dedicating almost all of her personal assets to keep her dream alive. 

Here at Women4Change, we feel the support of our donors in every step we take. Whether it be at our empowering events, like the State of Women in Indiana and Ready to Run Indiana, or pounding the pavement at the State House to advocate on behalf of redistricting reform, hate crimes legislation, equal pay, the opioid crisis, and voter access, Women4Change is here for you and because of you. 

Like us, we know behind you is a woman who has supported or inspired you to make you who you are today. We ask, in honor of this Women's History Month, that you make a contribution to Women4Change in honor of that woman, no matter who she might be. Show her that you are thankful for her time, compassion, or wisdom--that you are thankful for her. With these donations, Women4Change will post a tribute naming all honorees on our website and social media pages, as well as send a personalized message to your honoree. Simply donate at the link below and then email alysa@women4changeindiana.org (please include their contact information - email or address) to tell us who you would like to thank and why and we'll work on the rest. 

We look forward to continuing in this partnership as powerful voices for change!

Donation link: https://www.women4changeindiana.org/donate

W4C stands firmly committed to a bias crimes bill that protects all people

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3/26/19

We are deeply disappointed in the actions of the House of Representatives today with its failure to include all Hoosiers in their amendment addressing bias crimes.

The exclusion of gender, gender identity and age leaves large numbers of Hoosiers exposed to victimization.

On the heels of the #MeToo movement and countless examples of the harassment and assault of women, it is hard to believe that a bias crimes bill passed in 2019 would exclude gender. 

Likewise, national statistics clearly show that our transgender community is disproportionately affected by hate crimes around the country. Indiana has not escaped this trend.

In this, International Women’s Month, we implore the Indiana General Assembly to pass meaningful bias crimes legislation that protects all Hoosiers regardless of their gender, gender identity or age.

We call on Governor Holcomb and the Indiana General Assembly to complete the list of protected groups as they finish their work in the 2019 General Assembly. Anything less would be a disservice to residents of our great state.

The Legislative Process

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Who's Who of the Indiana General Assembly

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February 8th: Here’s what happened this week at the Indiana Statehouse

As the fifth full week of the 2019 legislative session comes to an end, Women4Change continues to be YOUR eyes and ears in the Indiana Statehouse.

URGENT! If you have not reached out to your state senator concerning hate crimes legislation (SB12 and SB75), please click on the link below and fill out the form to voice your support! The timeline for passing a hate crimes law is getting extremely tight and the deadline for a bill to be heard is Feb. 21st!

https://www.oneclickpolitics.com/messages/edit?promo_id=5381

Here is what else we were following this week:

1. SB 105 ('Redistricting standards') had a committee hearing in the Senate. The vote was: do pass, adopted.

2. SB 192 (‘Nonconsensual Pornography’) had a committee hearing in the Senate. The vote was: amend do pass, adopted.

3. SB 194 ('Voter challenges in primaries') passed its third reading and was referred to the House.

4. SB 424 ('Privacy and tracking of rape kits') passed its third reading and was referred to the House.

5. HB 1651 ('Seizure of firearms from dangerous individuals') was scheduled for a second reading in the House on Monday, February 11th.  

A big thank you to our members for continuing to our work at the Statehouse. We had Women4Change members sending a clear message to our lawmakers through the following activity:

A. Pack the House for Redistricting - SB105 (redistricting standards)

Next week, we will be showing our support for the Equality Pay$ Coalition, which will be hosting a press conference on Monday, February 11th in the 4th floor North Atrium, at 11:00 AM. Legislators and local leaders will be discussing bills related to women in the workforce, including pay discrimination, pregnancy accommodations, sexual harassment, and more in 2019. Register here!

If you can not attend a meeting at the Statehouse during the legislative session consider attending these meetings.

Sen. Ford from District 29 will be holding office hours at Burger King (8310 West 10th St., Indianapolis) next Friday the 15th from 9-11 a.m.

Saturday, Feb 9th

Huntington County Chamber of Commerce

Senator Lanane District 25

10:00AM

Huntington City Township Public Library

255 W Park Dr

Huntington, IN

SB37 Redistricting Commission

SB32 Same Day Registration

Vigo County Crackerbarrel Session

Senator Ford District 38 Representative Pfaff District 43

10:00AM

Vigo County Public Library

1 Library Square

Terre Haute, IN

HB1256 Same Day Registration; Close of the Polls

LWV Southwest Indiana

Senator Becker District 50

9:00-11:00AM

Evansville Central Library

200 SE Martin Luther   

King Jr Blvd

Evansville, IN

SB590 Pregnancy and Childbirth Discrimination

Huntington County Chamber of Commerce

Senator Lanane District 25

10:00AM

Huntington City Township Public Library

255 W Park Dr

Huntington, IN

SB37 Redistricting Commission

SB32 Same Day Registration

Monday, Feb 11th

Madison County Chamber

Senate Districts 25, 26 and House Districts 35, 36, 53, 54

8:00 AM

Anderson Public Library

3rd Floor

111 E. 12th St

Anderson, IN 46016

Saturday, Feb 16th

Warrick County Chamber of Commerce

Senate District 49 and House District 76

9:00AM

First Methodist Church

601 Main Street

Mt. Vernon, IN 47620

February 1st: Here’s what happened this week at the Indiana Statehouse

As the fourth full week of the 2019 legislative session comes to an end, Women4Change continues to be YOUR eyes and ears in the Indiana Statehouse.

There are many bills that are starting to move. Here’s what we were following this week:

1. HB 1394 ('Women's suffrage centennial commission') had a third reading in the House. The vote was: passed.

2. HB 424 ( ‘Privacy and tracking of rape kits’) had a second reading in the House. The vote was: amended, ordered engrossed.

   1. This means that the bill was certified by the Secretary of the Senate.

3. SB 352 ('Consent to pregnancy services of a minor') is scheduled for a third reading on Monday, 4 Feb 2019 in the Senate Chamber.

A big thank you to our members for continuing our work at the Statehouse. We had Women4Change members sending a clear message to our lawmakers through the following activity:

A. Dial in for Redistricting - Remote Phone Banking

Next week, we will be showing our support for:

SB 105 (Redistricting Standards), which will be heard on Monday, February 4th in the Elections Committee, at 10:00 AM in  Statehouse Room 431.

If you can not attend a meeting at the Statehouse during the legislative session, consider attending these town hall meetings:

Saturday, Feb 2nd

Senator Stoops (D) Senate District 40, majority of Monroe County

9:30-11 AM

Bloomington City Council Chambers

501 N Morton St.

Bloomington, IN

SB284 Prohibition on Conversion Therapy

SJR9 Ballot and Initiative Referendum

Senator Alting (R) Senate District 22, Tippecanoe County

7:30-9:30 AM

Courtyard by Marriott

150 Fairington Ave

Lafayette, IN

SB12 Bias Motivated Crimes

SB192 Nonconsensual Pornography

Representative Reardon (D) House District 12, around Hammond, IN

11A-12:30PM

Wicker Memorial Park Clubhouse

8554 Indianapolis Blvd

Highland, IN

Griffith Town Hall

1-2:30PM

111 N Broad St

Griffith, IN

HB1573 Removal of Elected Officials

HB1574 Lewd Touching

HB1577 Workplace Discrimination

Carroll County Chamber of Commerce - Senator Buchanon District 7 Representative Lehe District 25

8:00AM

Hippensteel Tribute Center

405 Cottage St.

Delphi, IN

Friday, Feb 8th

Representative Stutzman (R) House District 49, Elkhart, Goshen

12-1:30PM

Elkhart Chamber of Commerce

418 S. Main St.

Elkhart, IN

HB1532 Nonconsensual Pornography

Saturday, Feb 9th

Huntington County Chamber of Commerce - Senator Lanane District 25

10:00AM

Huntington City Township Public Library

255 W Park Dr

Huntington, IN

SB37 Redistricting Commission

SB32 Same Day Registration

Vigo County Cracker Barrel Session - Senator Ford District 38 Representative Pfaff District 43

10:00AM

Vigo County Public Library

1 Library Square

Terre Haute, IN

HB1256 Same Day Registration; Close of the Polls

LWV Southwest Indiana - Senator Becker District 50

9:00-11:00AM

Evansville Central Library

200 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd

Evansville, IN

SB590 Pregnancy and Childbirth Discrimination

January 25th: Here’s what happened this week at the Indiana Statehouse

As the third full week of the 2019 Indiana legislative session comes to a close, we want to let you know that Women4Change will be YOUR eyes and ears in the Statehouse. Over 1200 bills have now been filed and here’s what we were following this week:

1. SB 132: Civics test as graduation requirement. Passed

2. HB 1394: Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission is scheduled for a second reading on Monday, 28 Jan 2019 in the House Chamber.

3. HB 1007 : Perinatal Care had a third reading in the House. The vote was: Passed.

A big thank you to our members for continuing to show up at the Statehouse. We had Women4Change members present and sending a clear message that we need action now at:

A. HB 1217: the Elections and Apportionment meeting

If you can not attend a meeting at the Statehouse during the legislative session consider attending these town hall meetings:

1. Senator JD Ford (D) with others, District 29, Indianapolis  

   1. Senator Ford is the author of SB86 and SB349, both of which are in favor of making voting an easier act for everyday Hoosiers.

      1. SB86 allows more people to be qualified for absentee voting. If you are able to vote in person, you could still vote absentee.

      2. SB349 would allow new applications for driver’s licenses, permits, or state IDs to automatically be for voter registration, unless an individual opts out.

   2. January 26th, 2019, 10AM at the Hamilton County Courthouse (1 Hamilton County Sq, Noblesville, IN)

2. Senator Walker (R), District 41, Parts of Bartholomew and Johnson Counties

   1. Senator Walker is the author of SB105, which is focused on redistricting.

      1. SB105 proposes that new districts (100 for the House and 50 for the Senate) be drawn based on equal population.

   2. January 28th, 2019, 7:30-9:30 AM at Columbus City Hall
      (Cal Brand Meeting Room- First Floor
      123 Washington Street, Columbus IN)

3. Senator Alting (R), District 22, Tippecanoe County

   1. Senator Alting is the author of SB12, SB192, which cover Bias Crimes and Nonconsensual Pornography.

      1. SB12 would make bias crimes an aggravating circumstance in court and would require these crimes to be reported to the FBI.

      2. SB192 makes it illegal distribute intimate photos of an individual without the person in the image’s consent.

   2. February 2nd, 2019, 7:30-9:30 AM at the Lafayette Courtyard by Marriott (150 Fairington Ave, Lafayette, IN)

Calling all ADVOCATES!

Are you ready to prove to our lawmakers that Indiana is ready for change? Can you be available to show up at the Statehouse during the week for committee hearings and rallies? The 2019 legislative session runs from January through April. If you are free during the day on weekdays WE NEED YOU! 

Showing up at the Statehouse during the legislative session declares to our lawmakers that we mean business and will hold them accountable for their decision-making. Women4Change members packed committee hearings and took part in several rallies last year to help push for positive change. Phone calls and emails are very important, but being physically present at the place where decisions are made makes an influential statement. 

By signing up to be an ACTION ADVOCATE, you will receive emails with the latest details from the Statehouse regarding our signature causes. These emails will tell you where you need to be and when, with information such as committee hearing times or room changes, bill updates, and other pieces of legislative information that can change in an instant. Fill out our contact form by clicking here to become one of our 2019 ACTION ADVOCATES and let's start the new year off by taking action!