BILL NUMBER: AJR 47	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Saldana
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Adams, Ammiano, Arambula, Bass,
Beall, Block, Blumenfield, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero,
Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, Eng,
Evans, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Gatto, Hall, Harkey,
Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman, Lieu, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza,
Monning, Nava, John A. Perez, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Ruskin,
Salas, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, and
Yamada)
   (Coauthors: Senators DeSaulnier, Hancock, Liu, Oropeza, Romero,
and Wolk)

                        AUGUST 17, 2010

   Relative to Women's Equality Day.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AJR 47, as introduced, Saldana. 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, 2010, the 90th 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, 2010, marks the 90th 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, Lucretia Mott, Martha C. Wright,
Mary Ann McClintock, and Jane Hunt organized the first Women's Rights
Convention in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, where 100 women and
men from all walks of life affixed their signatures to the
Declaration of Sentiments, which proclaimed that "all men and women
are created equal" and are "endowed with certain inalienable rights,"
including elective franchise; and
   WHEREAS, Several generations of suffragists fought for women's
right to vote and few early participants in this massive civil rights
movement lived to see the victory in 1920; and
   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 ratification 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 77 cents to every dollar earned by
a man, disproportionately live in poverty, and are more likely to be
victims of domestic violence than men, female athletes have fewer
participation opportunities than male athletes, and far fewer dollars
are spent on women's athletics programs than on men's athletics
programs; and
   WHEREAS, On August 26, 2010, 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 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 90th
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.
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