BILL NUMBER: AJR 30	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Liu
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Speier)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Berg, Cohn, Evans, Goldberg, Hancock,
Karnette, Lieber, Matthews, Montanez, Negrete McLeod, Oropeza,
Pavley, Saldana, and Wolk)
   (Coauthors: Senators Bowen, Ducheny, Escutia, Figueroa, Kehoe,
Kuehl, Migden, Ortiz, and Romero)

                        AUGUST 15, 2005

   Relative to Women's Equality Day.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AJR 30, as introduced, Liu  Women's Equality Day.
   This measure would memorialize the Congress and the President of
the United States to uphold protections of women's equality and to
encourage all Americans to participate in the celebration of Women's
Equality Day on August 26, 2005, the 85th anniversary of the passage
of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which
gave women the right to vote.
   Fiscal committee: no.




   WHEREAS, August 26, 2005, marks the 85th anniversary of passage of
the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is
Women's Equality Day, a day deserving of celebration and special
public commendation; and
   WHEREAS, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the
first Women's Rights Convention in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York,
where 100 women and men from all walks of life declared that "all men
and women are created equal" and called for universal women's
suffrage; and
   WHEREAS, Several generations of suffragists fought for the right
for women to vote and few early participants in this massive civil
rights movement lived to see the victory in 1920.
   WHEREAS, On August 26, 1920, after a 72-year struggle, the
Nineteenth Amendment was added to the United States Constitution,
securing a woman's right to vote; and
   WHEREAS, In 1971, the United States Congress designated August 26
as Women's Equality Day to commemorate the passage of the Nineteenth
Amendment to the United States Constitution and as a reminder of the
need for continuing efforts for women to achieve full equality; and
   WHEREAS, Since 1920, women have made tremendous gains in society,
including the right to vote, the right to be free from discrimination
in employment, and the right to equal access to education, including
sports; and
   WHEREAS, Despite these gains, women still need to make great
strides in order to achieve civic, economic and social equality; and
   WHEREAS, Women still earn only 76 cents to every dollar earned by
a man, women disproportionately live in poverty, women are more
likely to be victims of domestic violence than men, and female
athletes have fewer participation opportunities and far few dollars
spent on women's athletics than on men's athletics programs; and
   WHEREAS, On August 26, 2005, Women's Equality Day and the
anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, the women and
men who have worked tirelessly to secure equality for women are to
be commended for what they have achieved thus far and supported in
their continued efforts to champion the rights of women; now,
therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California
memorializes the United States Congress and the President of the
United States to do all of the following:
   (1) Dedicate themselves to upholding the current legal protections
of equality for women.
   (2) Continue to pioneer new protections of equality for women
until women achieve parity with men.
   (3) Encourage all Americans to participate in the national
celebration of Women's Equality Day in recognition of the 85th
anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States
Constitution and its historic importance in promoting women's rights;
and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President of the United States and to all
Members of the United States Congress.