In spite of poor weather, 49 AAUW members from across Arizona met at the state capitol building on Feb. 20 for AAUW Arizona’s annual Legislative Day.  The focus of this year’s event was passage of the Equal Rights Amendment in Arizona.

Rep. Becky Nutt (R), stepping in for Speaker J.D. Mesnard (R), welcomed the group to the capitol.  She was followed by Rep. Pam Powers Hannley (D), sponsor of a bill to pass the ERA.  Powers Hannley pointed out that assignment of the bill to the Judiciary Committee, which had refused to hear a bill on this issue in the past and which did so again, resulted in failure of the bill to receive a vote under ordinary procedures.  She did suggest, however, that she was still looking for a way to get a vote through other means.

Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R), one of two Republican women who supports passage of the ERA, spoke about what she sees as a lack of factual objections to the amendment.  She recommended a less confrontational approach to the bill’s opponents, having a one-on-one conversation about the legislator’s objections and responding to those objections with facts.

The day’s final speaker, a fired-up Rep. Athena Salman (D) discussed a range of issues of concern to women from this legislative session.  She emphasized that women have the power if they will work together and take that control.

A huge thank-you for a very informative and successful Legislative Day goes to AAUW AZ Public Policy chair Harriet Young, to the branch officers for creating enthusiasm among their members, and to the 49 women who took the time to be seen and heard by our legislators.

This annual event will be held in our traditional venues, the Historic Senate Chambers and the Historic Supreme Court Chambers on Feb. 20.  Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley will  be our featured speaker on the introduction of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for passage by the Arizona Legislature.  This amendment has been on hold for almost 30 years, and Rep. Powers is leading an effort in Arizona to secure passage in Arizona this year.  That will put the amendment one state vote away from passage.