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Loud & Clear
April 2022
Welcome New Members
Rebecca Hodges
Shawn Trent
Up Next

Thurs., April 14, 7 p.m.
Words from Our Co-President
Initiative Petitions Under Attack in Missouri
Legislature - Your Action Needed

As the turbulent Missouri legislative session winds toward an end, votes are pending on critical issues such as Medicaid expansion repeal, reproductive rights, privatizing public education, curriculum content, cutting unemployment benefits, and voter disenfranchisement. Of particular concern are the efforts to weaken the ability to enact policy through citizen-led initiatives and referenda.

One-hundred fifteen years ago, Missourians enshrined the right to direct democracy in our state constitution through the initiative-petition process. Now, more than 20 bills have been filed to make our initiative process more difficult. The initiative petition allows citizens to propose laws or constitutional amendments by gathering hundreds of thousands of voter signatures with certain geographic distribution requirements. A majority vote for the initiative then enacts it. The current proposed changes would require larger numbers of signatures, higher filing fees, and requirements for as much as a two-thirds majority for passage.

Given Missouri’s extreme political polarization and highly gerrymandered districts, the use of initiative petitions and referenda has been invaluable. Missouri citizens have used initiatives to expand Medicaid, raise the minimum wage, defeat Right to Work, and enact ethical reform through the CLEAN Amendment. The process is a critical tool of democracy. It is the way we can enact policy when our elected officials ignore the people’s will.

These harmful bills can only be stopped in the Senate. House Joint Resolution (HJR) 79 has been referred to the Senate. Senate Joint Resolutions (SJR) 31 and 37 have had a Committee hearing and have been voted DO PASS. This means the Committee Chair can report these out and they can be sent to the full Senate for a vote.

We must stop these assaults on democracy. Please call or email today to urge your senator to vote NO on these, and any, bills that weaken the initiative process. Information on the bills and contact information for senators can be found at www.senate.mo.gov. 


Ruth Ehresman
Vote on Tuesday, April 5!
There are mayoral races across our entire region on April 5. There are school board races, bond issues and board of alderman contests. Questions about the online sales tax, government accountability and transparency, and the county's ability to lease park properties. Each one of these gives you the opportunity to ensure those that are elected reflect your values and priorities. It is vital that you show up to the ballot box for every election, every time, to ensure the people making decisions on your behalf will represent your best interests.
 
Polls will be open from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. for municipal elections on Tuesday, April 5.
 
You can cast an absentee ballot in person at your local electron authority unit 5 p.m. on April 4.
 
St Louis County voters can vote at any polling location. Use the polling place lookup and line tracker map to save time!
 
Know before you go - find your sample ballot:
Election Protection volunteers will be available to assist you with voting problems. Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE or chat online at https://866ourvote.org/
Vote YES on City of St. Louis Proposition R
Proposition R will prohibit alderpersons from taking official actions where they have a personal, financial, or political conflict of interest related to the legislation being considered. Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice endorsed Prop R in the City of St. Louis because it increases accountability and transparency in the Board of Alderpersons. It also requires Ward boundaries to be redrawn by an independent citizens' commission after the next census (2030).

Please vote YES on Prop R.
 
Still Behind Bars: Criminal Legal Reform
Thursday, April 14, 2022, 7 p.m.
In-person program at The Heights
8001 Dale Ave. 63117
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required for entry.
In theory, after inmates have “paid their debt to society,” they are able to return to society and create a normal, fulfilling, and productive life. In Missouri that is far from true. Instead, these individuals face a multitude of barriers to employment, education, housing, food support, voting rights, and more. Burdensome parole requirements set the stage for recidivism – at great cost to them and to taxpayers as well.

The criminal justice reforms passed in last year’s legislative session are a step in the right direction. But they do not fully address the situation, nor are they fully implemented.

We’ll gain an understanding of the status quo, what additional reforms are needed, and how we can help make them happen.

Beth M. Huebner is a professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Shawntelle L. Fisher is the founder and leader of The SoulFisher Ministries.
Rung for Women: Helping Women Climb the Ladder Toward Economic Self-Sufficiency
Rung for Women, an organization uniquely focused on the economic advancement of women, opened one year ago. At the March program, speakers Lisa Weingarth, vice president of institutional advancement, and Rhonda Gray, vice president of strategy & innovation, spoke about the history behind Rung for Women and the progress of the first year's programming.

The founders’ goals go beyond just helping women get jobs, which can often be low paying and unstable. Gray explained their vision: to launch women into careers that allow them to become financially independent and accumulate wealth for their families and communities. The program stresses preparing women for six high-potential career paths: technology, geospatial, advanced manufacturing, health sciences, business acumen, and trades.

Mental Illness Is Not a Crime
At the March Lunch and Learn, speakers Tiffany Lacy Clark, chief operating officer, Behavioral Health Response (BHR); Bart Andrews, PhD, BHR chief clinical officer; Felicia Spratt, MS, LPC, BHR 911 diversion director; Lt. Leonard Day, commander, Crisis Response Unit, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department shared details of the city's program that diverts 911 calls to mental health professionals.

In February 2021, St. Louis City established an innovative program to divert 911 calls to the most appropriate responders. Previously, calls typically resulted in a response by armed police or an ambulance, sometimes with fatal results. Today, Crisis Response Units (CRUs)--teams of police officers paired with mental health professionals--are changing 911 outcomes by diverting individuals from jail and/or the hospital, Clark explained.

As Children Die, Our Work Is Needed
Three children died during the last two weeks in tragic incidents, highlighting the importance of safe firearm storage. The City of St. Louis has responded by featuring our Lock It for Love program as part of the solution to this problem of gun violence. The partnerships we have established during the past two years have made gun locks available at all St. Louis Fire Department stations, through the St. Louis Metropolitan Police, and at St. Louis Public Library branches. With these lock distribution sites in place, the city and media were able to immediately alert parents and other caregivers about where to obtain gun locks. You can read more about how the city highlighted Lock It for Love in their press release.

The Lock It for Love program is possible because of the commitment of many volunteers who staff tables at community events, package locks for distribution, and serve as liaisons to our community partners. They have enabled us to continue our work during the challenges of COVID-19. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the extra efforts of a few who contributed to the success of the program over the past two years: 

  • Lise Bernstein for work on grants, partner development and always having new ideas to support the committee’s work
  • Melissa Leech for overseeing community events in the uncertain time of COVID-19
  • Joanie Park for recruiting volunteers to work at community events during the pandemic
  • Mary Schuman for her years of work and reporting on the Violence Prevention Coalition
  • Barbara Harris for grant writing, especially the Cardinals Care grant
  • Andrea Bauman for working as the liaison with St. Louis Fire Department
  • Ginny Weil, Brigid McCauley and Deb Katz for amazing work on the outstanding December 2021 and 2022 Women’s Voices programs
  • Tonie Fitzgibbon and Cathy Gilbert for serving as co-chairs of the committee
April Focus on Sexual Assault Awareness
April is an important month for advocacy: We vote on April 5 and April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, when organizations sponsor activities to educate about sexual violence as a public health and social justice issue. President Biden recently signed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), reauthorizing current VAWA grant programs until 2027. This bipartisan legislation enables programs to protect and support survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking and invests in prevention efforts. To learn more about the act’s many benefits, see Fact Sheet: Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) | The White House.

Why is the VAWA so necessary? A few statistics from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center show a disturbing pattern:

  • 1 in 5 women in the U.S. experienced completed or attempted rape during their lifetime.
  • 24.8% of U.S. men experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime.
  • 1 in 4 undergraduate women experienced sexual assault or misconduct at 33 of our nation's major universities.
  • The estimated cost of rape is $122,461 per victim.

Here are important resources for sexual assault victims:

  • Nationwide: 1-800-656-4673 / 1-800-942-6906
  • St. Louis: Safe Connection 314-646-7500 / 314-531-2003
  • YWCA St. Louis: 314-531-1115

Learn more at a virtual event on April 12 at 6 p.m.: “An Evening with Alexandra Brodsky.” A civil rights lawyer, Brodsky is the author of Sexual Justice. Watch the event on YouTube or read more here.

Please consider joining our Advocacy Committee. Our next meeting is on April 25 (we meet on the 4th Monday of each month). Contact Advocacy Chair, Karen Francis for details about how to join us!
Affordable Housing Task Force Advances Kirkwood Plan
Members of the Women’s Voices Affordable Housing Task Force who live in Kirkwood are showing us how we might make a difference in our communities! Under the direction of Ellen Wentz and Karen Coulson, this group has laid out a plan to work with Kirkwood city officials and other volunteer groups in the community to increase awareness of the need for more affordable housing. They have met with city officials, filed to serve on the Planning and Zoning Commission, formed relationships with the Kirkwood Social Justice coalition and church groups, and are planning a presentation before the Kirkwood Human Rights Commission.

The task force welcomes new members and new ideas. For information about upcoming meetings and other work of the group, email: housingjustice@womensvoicesraised.org.
Help Us Plan 2022 Programs!
Would you like to help us choose our monthly evening programs for next year? Contact Program Chair, Ellen Wentz, at programs@womensvoicesraised.org to join our program planning meeting in May.
Women's Voices Members Respond to Injustice!
Women's Voices co-president Ruth Ehresman urges a no vote on abill that would derail Medicaid expansion in Missouri, putting thousands at risk and reversing the benefits that Medicaid expansion will bring. Read her letter in the St. Louis Post Dispatch here.

Barbara Richter, in her letter to the Webster Kirkwood Times, urges readers to support students and educators In teaching truth.

Gail Wechsler, in her letter to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, says that no place is immune to gun violence and calls for commonsense laws. 
Have something to submit for Loud & Clear?

Loud & Clear is the official monthly e-newsletter of Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice and is usually distributed on the first Monday or Tuesday of the month. The general deadline for article submission is the Wednesday prior to publication. Click here to contact editor Laura Rose.
Membership Info
Even if you can’t come to meetings or become personally involved, your membership is important…and greatly appreciated.

Benefits of Membership
When you join Women’s Voices you:
  • Make our voice stronger when we advocate with elected officials.
  • Provide support to the organization by adding your name to our advocacy efforts.
  • Provide ideas and suggestions to help determine how to define our positions and choose our causes.
  • Participate in advocacy activities in any way that you want or is possible for you.
  • Take pride in your affiliation with a strong, progressive group of women working for social justice.
  • Help cover our administrative and outreach costs through your dues.
Annual Dues:

$60 (Regular Membership)
$100 (Silver Level)
$150 (Gold Level)
$20 (Student Membership)
Send a check (payable to Women's Voices) to: 

Women's Voices
7401 Delmar Blvd. 
University City, MO 63130