LANSING, Mich. - The Violence Against Women Act has been renewed twice with bipartisan support since originally passed in 1994, but this year's reauthorization has become the object of an election year political battle. The Senate has approved a version of the bill that includes immigrants, Native Americans, and LBGT victims of domestic abuse, but the House passed a version that excluded those protections. The National Organization for Women is opposed to the House version, which it calls an "atrocious bill".

Mary Pollack, legislative vice president for Michigan NOW, says that's because the House bill excludes many domestic abuse victims who historically have fallen through the cracks.

"Especially immigrant women are especially vulnerable, because some of them are victims of domestic violence and are very afraid of calling the police or calling for help."

Leaders of more than 30 religious groups are also opposed to the House bill, because they say it rolls back current protections for "battered non-citizens." House Republican leaders say their bill protects all victims and that there is no reason for the bill to single out certain groups.

Pollock says the two Senators from Michigan, Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, did the right thing by voting for the Senate reauthorization bill.

"It's the bill that we want, and the Republicans seem to be dead set against anything that women's rights advocates want."

Proponents of the Senate bill cited studies that show the rate of domestic abuse among lesbian, gay, and transgender people to be about the same as among the general population, yet that abuse is reported less.

Pollock thinks House Republicans are afraid to face reality.

"They cannot vote on anything that recognizes that there may be more discrimination against that group than other groups. It is the civil rights topic of our time."

Pollock calls the House bill anti-gay, anti-woman and anti-immigrant. House Republicans accuse Senate Democrats of playing politics with the issue.

The Violence Against Women Act expires in September. Both sides say they support reauthorization. No official negotiations have been scheduled to work out a compromise. President Obama has threatened to veto the House version.

The Senate bill is S.1925; the House bill is H.R.4970.

A NOW statement is at tinyurl.com/7kd2qjv.





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In the 1960s, women were told in ad campaigns, "You've come a long way, baby." But in Utah, that may not be the case.

Women's Equality Day is this Friday, but a statistical survey by researchers at the website WalletHub ranks Utah last among the 50 states for women's equality. The study looked at 17 key indicators, from the gap between female and male executives to the disparity in employment rates for women and men, as well as education and health care.

Jill Gonzalez, communications director at WalletHub, said the survey found wide discrepancies in Utah - in education, health and wealth.

"Utah ranked last when it comes to income," she said. "It has the largest gap between what women are making and what men are making. In the bottom five for its executive positions gap - so, there are about six times more men in executive positions than women."

The survey analyzed 17 key indicators of workplace environment, education and health, and political empowerment. On the global scale, the World Economic Forum has ranked the United States 27th this year out of 146 countries - and that's an improvement over last year's 30th place.

A recent study by Utah State University found Utah women have historically been underrepresented in politics. The state currently has no women in its eight-member congressional delegation, and women hold only 24% of the 104 state legislative seats. Gonzalez said that won't change unless more women run for office.

"In the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives, substantially more men in the state Legislature and state elections," she said. "We see the same issue in Utah, and there's really not many women there. So, I think even before looking at policy, it's looking at who's making policy."

The survey also ranks Utah last for the number of women with post-graduate or other advanced degrees.

While abortion care is in the headlines, a new report says accessing other health-care services is a challenge for many women in Georgia.

Data from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families shows one-in-five Georgia women of reproductive age lacks health care coverage. Executive Director Joan Alker said that's one of the highest rates in the country and region.

"Women need to be covered before, during and after their pregnancy," said Alker, "to ensure that some of their chronic health conditions - like high blood pressure or depression or diabetes - are under control before they come pregnant and remain under control after they have a baby."

The report also raises the alarm about the state's trajectory when it comes to health outcomes for moms and babies.

Georgia's maternal mortality rate of 24.5 is slightly greater than national average, which Alker noted is very high. And infant mortality also presents similarly.

Alker added that there are notable disparities in health outcomes for women of reproductive age.

"Black women, Latina women, and multi-racial women are seeing bigger problems," said Alker. "Higher rates of being uninsured and greater incidents, unfortunately, of maternal and infant mortality."

Nearly half of Hispanic or Latina women of reproductive age are uninsured in Georgia, and Black babies die at higher rates than white babies.

Alker said the most important thing Georgia can to do protect the health of women and babies would be to expand the Medicaid program.

"They'd have access to the care they need, they would have the financial protection from large medical bills," said Alker. "If Georgia wants its families to thrive, they just simply cannot be exposing these women to economic and medical peril by leaving them uninsured."

Georgia is among a dozen states that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Texas soon will enact one of the strictest abortion bans in the country - and a majority of voters don't like it.

Three out of four - 77% of the state's registered voters - would prefer a less severe abortion policy, according to polling by the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs.

Senior Research Associate there Mark Jones said while there were some significant differences between Republicans and Democrats, most voters think the previously passed House Bill 1280 goes too far.

"If we're thinking of the average Texan," said Jones, "their preference is either that abortion only be permitted if the woman's life is in danger, or in the case of rape or incest, also for six weeks for any reason."

Texas is one of several states with a "trigger law" set to take effect 30 days after the Supreme Court issues a formal judgment after overturning Roe v. Wade in May.

The Texas law does not include exceptions for rape or incest, and only allows an abortion if a pregnancy would kill or cause severe injury to the person carrying the child.

Jones said about half of those polled on abortion don't agree with the state's "trigger law."

"If Republican lawmakers had included providing an exception in the case of rape or incest," said Jones, "then they'd pretty much be in line where the average Texas voter is."

The poll also found a majority of voters would support expanding services for those pregnant and their babies, including funding for pregnancy and prenatal care, new born classes, foster care and adoption services. Jones said they also support paying for those.

"Hopefully," said Jones, "the Legislature will at least say, 'OK, if we are going to have this policy related to abortion, we will invest more money so the financial burden or the time burden is ameliorated somewhat.'"

The poll was conducted after the Supreme Court's decision was handed down and included 1,069 respondents who are registered to vote in Texas.