The Missouri House Voted Against Funding for Sue Shear Institute Today

 

The House Minority Caucus releases the following statement: 

 

House GOP votes to eliminate educational program for women

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Republican-controlled House of Representatives today voted 93-59 to make it illegal for any public college or university in Missouri to offer educational programs that encourage women to run for public office.

“This is about keeping women barefoot, pregnant, in the kitchen and as far away from politics as possible,” said Assistant House Minority Leader Tishaura Jones, D-St. Louis. “The Sue Shear Institute trains all women for all sorts of careers in public life without regard to political party. This is yet another strike against women and an attempt to silence our voices in the political process.”

The vote came on an amendment to a larger bill related to higher education, Senate Bill 455. The amendment specifically seeks the elimination of the Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. However, the legislation is broadly written to prohibit any other public college or university from operating any program that promotes the participation of women in public affairs.

The amendment passed on a largely party-line vote with most Republicans in support. Seven Republicans joined unanimous Democrats in opposition.

The House approved the overall bill 95-56, and it now returns to the Senate. If the Senate accepts the House version, SB 455 would then go to the governor to be signed into law or vetoed.

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A Note from the Creator

A note from the creator of this blog:

Many months ago I was eager for an outlet to recognize Missouri women for their achievements and struggles. One thing I know is the power of technology and it's access to be able to connect with others. Just how much it would powerfully connect me, I never realized until a dear good friend of mine, Paula Willmarth, brought to my attention a wonderful national movement to stand up against the war on women through Unite Women.

I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the movement, and the results have allowed me new friendships across the state, the ability to connect women who are in support of each other, an opportunity to reach out to elected officials, the chance to become more educated on women's rights, and the desire to continue moving forward!

So from here on out, this blog is dedicated to Unite Women Missouri. All Missouri men and women are encouraged to send submissions to be posted here to the email wowmissouri@gmail.com 

Please join us in this grassroots movement by visiting UniteWomen.org and entering in our Facebook.

(Please keep in mind older posts were ones written by me individually and are not connected with Unite Women.)

Thank you,
Courtney Cole

Our Stories: Angie Rice shares her survival story of domestic violence

Angie Rice with daughters Kassie Roland, 4, and Kristin Rice, 5. 

Friday, July 11, 2008
By Angie Rice Special to SHE magazine

As a former reporter and freelance writer, I have written my fair share of headlines. Some good, some bad. Yet as I look back on the past year, I cannot help but contemplate the anniversary of my own headline in The Cuba Free-Press in Cuba, Mo. The headline stated: "Former TRP reporter survives stabbing." Reading it even now almost feels like I am reading it about someone else and not myself.

The lead of the story written by Chris Case was straightforward enough: "Former Three Rivers Publishing reporter Angie Fodge is recovering from the stab wounds she received last week during a violent knife attack by her husband. The woman was seriously injured in the attack, but miraculously did not suffer any permanent or life-threatening wounds."

It was a beautiful morning in Cuba on July 27. Although sad, I was packing up and moving back home to Southeast Missouri. It was the place I had called home since I was young. My husband and I had discussed the matter, and he seemed fine with the idea. He was a truck driver and could live anywhere. My 3-year-old daughter was happy because she would be closer to her father, my ex-husband. We had just settled an almost-two-year custody battle, and we were looking forward to the prospects ahead.

That morning my husband was eager to help load the car for us. He had been home for a week and was scheduled to go back out on his truck for a little while longer. The week had been rough. He had come home and threatened to kill me on Wednesday. We had been arguing a lot. But I had somehow settled him down and thought if I could get him back on the truck on Friday, all would be well.
I was wrong.

As we were driving to a local truck stop, my then-husband drove past it without saying a word. I asked him where we were going, while I had my finger on the button to roll down the window. I was scared. This was not the first time he had threatened my life. I was so tired that morning of struggling with him all week and hoping and praying that everything would be OK.

As he drove with my little girl asleep in the back seat, he looked over at me and told me he bought a machete at Wal-Mart the day before and that he was going to kill me because I was a "[screw]-up."
He looked at me and hit me in the face.

I reached for my cell phone and began dialing 911. He pulled out a 4-inch serrated-blade pocketknife. It was one I had bought him for Christmas. He started cutting little places in my hand, while he pried the phone from it. He threw the phone out the window.

What happened next seems like a blur. The news report stated he stabbed me several times in the back, head and neck. One of the places he stabbed me was in my right temple. That must have been the last place because he said, "You're dead. You're already dead, and you don't even know it."
The news report said, "The couple's three-year-old daughter was asleep in the back seat of the car at the time of the stabbing."

She woke up but stayed quiet. Later she would tell me she played hide-and-seek because she was scared. At the time I fought my husband because I knew I had to try to stay alive for her.

As he stabbed me the last time, I felt dizzy. I slumped over the side of the seat I was in. There was blood everywhere. The next thing I knew he was turning the car around and telling me he had to take me to the hospital. The report said when he realized what happened he dialed 911 from his cell phone. Luckily, we had more than one in the car that morning. He told the dispatcher he had stabbed his wife and was driving her to the local hospital. It was 16 miles away. Then he looked at me. "I am sorry, baby. I will get you to the hospital. I am going to jail, but you are going to live."

We pulled into the emergency room and a nurse came and put me in a wheelchair. I screamed for them to take care of my daughter and someone said she would be OK.

I was admitted and prepped for surgery following questioning by the police. The surgery was really just exploratory to stitch my wounds and make sure there was no permanent damage. I had lost a lot of blood, but luckily there was not permanent damage. I woke up after coming out of surgery in tears as a child who has awoken from a nightmare would. Some days I still feel the exact same way.

My now ex-husband was taken away by the Crawford County sheriff's deputies. He was later charged with first-degree domestic assault with serious intent to harm and armed criminal action. If convicted, he faces up to 10 to 30 years on the assault charge and a minimum of three years on the armed criminal action charge.

Reports say he said he didn't remember anything. He had a long history of mental illness. I wasn't sure, but I thought he probably had stopped taking his medication for bipolar disorder. But I always thought I could help him if I loved him enough. I was wrong.

The police had confiscated the car and found the weapon. A friend of mine graciously had the car cleaned for me before I picked it back up. There was no trace of the incident that had occurred.

I was released from the hospital the following day. My father from Vanduser, Mo., and his wife had come to pick me up and bring me home. I could not have survived the first week home without them. They offered me solitude and a place to heal away from all the chaos.

Although the police had found the knife I was stabbed with, they had neglected to search the entire car. A month later as I was unpacking groceries, I found a Wal-Mart bag with a receipt dated July 26, 2007. It listed razors, soap and machete as items that had been purchased. As I looked further in the trunk, I found the new machete that my now ex-husband had planned to kill me with.

Although my wounds healed within a matter of months, the nightmares come sometimes even now. I sought help from counselors, friends and support from the Safe House for Women outreach office in Cape Girardeau. Some days are better than others. I will read another headline or see something on the news that will remind me of the incident, and it will bring it all back.

Today, I am still a freelance reporter and my daughter is happier and healthier than ever. I have just received a scholarship from the Allstate Foundation to go back to college with the assistance of Betty Brown and Linda Garner of the Safe House for Women. I plan to use this experience to pursue a career helping others who have gone through similar situations. Life is looking up.

I have made a choice to move forward with my life for myself and my daughters. On my way to the hospital that day, I prayed that God would let me live so I could teach my daughters not to make the same choices I did. The man who tried to take my life sits in the Crawford County Jail awaiting trial.

This year I have talked with many in the criminal justice field who refer to people like me as a victim. I have started correcting them and saying I am not a victim anymore but a survivor. So this year, on July 27, I will celebrate being a survivor. I will not take life for granted, and I will resolve to tell my story to those who may need to hear it. I know I am not the only one with a story to tell.

GET HELP

If you or someone you love are future "survivors" of domestic violence, there is help. It is confidential, free and safe. Sometimes it just helps to talk to someone who listens and is understanding.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7223) 

TYY: 1-800-787-3224

2012 Women Candidates in Missouri

Following is a list of candidates who are announced to be running in Missouri. Filing for the offices take place February 28th-March 27th. Currently the State Senate maps are undecided, after the Supreme Court last week threw out the maps drawn by appellate judges deeming them unconstitutional. There have been a couple of options rumored, such as pushing filing back for just the State Senate races, or using the current maps that are now ten years old. No official decision has been put forward.

Missouri House of Representatives

District 10 - Kathie Conway (R) - Buchanan County
District 15 - Carol Suter (D) - Clay County
District 26 - Gail Beatty (D) - Jackson County
District 27 - Bonnaye Mims (D) - Jackson County
District 31 - Sheila Solon (R) - Jackson County
District 32 - Jeannie Lauer (R) - Jackson County
District 47 - Nancy Copenhaver (D) - Boone, Cooper, Howard and Randolph Counties
District 48 - Stephanie Fuemmeler (R) - Carroll, Chariton, Cooper and Howard Counties
District 57 - Wanda Brown (R) - Bates, Benton, Cass, Henry Counties
District 65 - Anne Zerr (R) - St. Charles County
District 69 - Margo McNeil (D) - St. Louis County
District 71 - Tracy McCreery (D) - St. Louis County
District 72 - Mary Nichols (D) and Eileen McGeoghegan (D) - St. Louis County
District 74 - Churie Spreng (D) and Sharon Pace (D) - St. Louis County
District 75 - Rochelle Walton-Gray (D) - St. Louis County
District 82 - Michele Kratky (D) - St. Louis County
District 83 - Gina Mitten (D) - St. Louis City and St. Louis County
District 84 - Karla May (D) and Hope Whitehead (D) - St. Louis City
District 87 - Susan Carlson (D) and Stacey Newman (D) - St. Louis County
District 88 - Jill Schupp (D) - St. Louis County
District 91 - Jeanne Kirkton (D) - St. Louis City and St. Louis County
District 92 - Genise Montecillo (D) - St. Louis County
District 94 - Cloria Brown (R) and Vicki Englund (D) - St. Louis County
District 95 - Marsha Haefner (R) - Lincoln County
District 100 - Sue Allen (R) - St. Louis County
District 106 - Chrissy Sommer (R) - St. Charles County
District 117 - Linda Black (D) - St. Francois County
District 123 - Diane Franklin (R) - Camden and Laclede Counties
District 124 - Carolyn Loraine (R) - Camden and Miller Counties
District 128 - Sue Entlicher (R) - Cedar and Polk Counties
District 129 - Sandy Crawford (R) - Dallas and Laclede Counties
District 132 - Melissa Leach (R) - Greene County
District 145 - Shelley Keeney (R) - Bollinger, Madison, and Perry Counties
District 146 - Donna Lichtenegger (R) - Cape Girardeau County
District 154 - Kathleen Hensley (R) - Howell County

Missouri State Senate

District 1 - Sue Schoemehl (D) - St. Louis County
District 5 - Robin Wright-Jones (D) and Jamilah Nasheed (D) - St. Louis City
District 7 - Jeanie Riddle (R) - Audrain, Callaway, Lincoln and Montgomery Counties
District 9 - Kiki Curls (D) - Jackson County
District 10 - Jolie Justus (D) - Jackson County
District 13 - Gina Walsh (D) - St. Louis County
District 14 - Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D) - St. Louis County
District 19 - Mary Still (D) - Boone and Howard Counties
District 25 - Ellen Brandom (R) - Jefferson and St. Louis Counties
District 27 - Jane Cunningham (R) - Jefferson and St. Louis Counties

Missouri Statewide Race

The Missouri Lieutenant Governor's race is the only statewide race that currently has a woman running in it. Unfortunately there is more than one woman who has gotten into the race, and even another who is rumored at looking at jumping in.

Susan Montee (D)
Becky Plattner (D)
Judy Baker (D)
Luann Ridgeway (R)
Cynthia Davis (R/Tea Party/Constitutional/?)

Missouri U.S. Senate

Claire McCaskill (D)
Sarah Steelman (R)

Missouri's 4th Congressional U.S. House of Representative

Vicky Hartzler (R)
Teresa Hensley (D)

So overall there are currently only 54 women running for office here in Missouri. That's not a very high number. Not all of these women will be elected, and some of them may even lose their current positions to a man. In order for women to have more a voice in our political system, more of them need to step out and run for office. I commend those who make the attempt. It's not an easy thing to do.

** Some of the information on this post may be incorrect due to changes in the redistricting maps or candidates joining or dropping out before filing officially with the state. Any updates that I receive, I will make sure to post. Also, if anyone has any changes, please don't hesitate to contact me and let me know.

*** If your group or organization would like for me to make a presentation in regard to the state legislature races, please contact me at courtney@mopolitical.com

Celebration of MO's African American Women Elected Officials

Martin Luther King, Jr. day is a great reminder of the hardships that the African American community went through in order to achieve equality in our society. They have made great strides, but as we all know, they are still fighting for equality every single day of their lives. We always celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life, and it was nice to see a great write-up in the St. Louis Core about his wife, Coretta Scott King. Please click here to read the article.

We are fortunate in Missouri to have a number of women who are elected and are African American. What follows is a brief bio of each of those ladies. Let's give them our support and encourage many other African American women to seek office here in this great state.

Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal - District 14

Senator Chappelle-Nadal represents part of St. Louis County in the Missouri Senate. She previously worked for Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell in 2000, as Director of Communications. Sen. Chapelle-Nadal later chose to serve as Missouri's Senior Advocate. There she successfully helped shepherd legislation such as the Senior Care and Protection Act of 2003 and the Missouri Senior Rx Generic Drug Rebate. She is an active member of many organizations and also serves as a director on the University City School Board.


Senator Shalonn "Kiki" Curls - District 9

Senator Curls represents part of Jackson County in the Missouri Senate. She won a special election to the Missouri Senate in Feb. 2011 after having served in the Missouri House since 2007. In addition to her legislative duties, Sen. Curls works in real estate development, and currently serves as the 14th Ward Democratic Committeewoman in Kansas City. She is also the mother of twins, James and Michaela.




Senator Robin Wright-Jones - District 5

Senator Wright-Jones represents St. Louis City in the Missouri Senate. With over 40 years of ardent volunteer and political activism, she brings experience to the Senate that many others don't have. Over the years she has received numerous awards in appreciation for her dedication to state government. In addition to her Senatorial position, she also works as a small business woman as a real estate broker. She has two sons, Damon and Adam, and four grandchildren.



Representative Tishaura Jones - District 63

Rep. Jones represents Downtown St. Louis City in the Missouri House of Representatives. She currently serves as the Assistant Minority Floor Leader in the House. She is also employed as Director of Public Policy and Sr. Human Resources Consultant at People's Health Centers. She has more than 10 years of experience as a healthcare administrator. Rep. Jones plans to leave the Missouri House and has put in her bid in the upcoming campaign for St. Louis City Treasurer. In addition to her work, she also has a young son, Aden.


Representative Karla May - District 57

Rep. May represents St. Louis City in the Missouri House of Representatives. She's a lifetime member of the city of St. Louis and her mother, Parrie May served as alderwoman there. Since a young age, Rep. May has been active in the political process, organizing local campaigns. She currently works for AT&T where she has been employed for the past eleven years. She serves as a union steward with CWA (Communication Workers of America 6300). She serves on the legislative committee and has lobbied the legislature for years on issues affecting the lives of working men and women.


Representative Gail McCann Beatty - District 43

Representative Beatty represents the Kansas City metro area in the Missouri House of Representatives. At the age of eighteen she was elected to her first seat as committeewoman for the then 27th Ward. Rep. Beatty was appointed to the Missouri Tourism Commission in 2000 by Gov. Mel Carnahan. She resigned from that commission to serve on the Missouri Real Estate Appraisers Commission (MREAC). She has worked as a commercial and residential real estate appraiser in the KC Metro area for 23 years. She lives there with her husband Bruce.


Representative Jamilah Nasheed - District 60

Representative Nasheed represents part of St. Louis City in the Missouri House of Representatives. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Dropout Prevention Task Force and is the founding member of the "In It 2 Win" Coalition which finds and returns drop outs to the classroom. Rep. Nasheed serves as Vice-Chairperson of the Freshman Democratic Caucus. In addition to her legislative duties, she is a small business owner in St. Louis City. She currently has announced her campaign to run against Sen. Robin Wright-Jones in the newly formed Missouri Senate District 5 for the 2012 election year.

Representative Sharon Pace - District 70

Representative Pace represents part of St. Louis County in the Missouri House of Representatives. She has received various awards, including the "Child Advocate" award in 2007 from the Annie Malone's Children and Family Services Center and "25+ years of service achievement" award in that same year from her membership of the First Baptist Church. She sits on various community boards and was employed as the Director of Patient Accounts in the health care industry. She is the proud parent of three daughters.


Representative Rochelle Walton-Gray - District 81

Representative Walton-Gray represents parts of Bellefontaine Neighbors, Spanish Lake, Black Jack and unincorporated areas of North St. Louis County in the Missouri House of Representatives. She has worked as a legal administrator for the past 23 years and in 2009, she was elected to serve as State Director of Missouri for the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL). She has received various awards over the years and is the stepdaughter of Juanita Walton, who served as state representative for the 81st district from 2000-2008. Rep. Gray resides in Black Jack with her husband, Alan Gray, and their two children, Alan Jr. and Alana.

Looking over these biographies as a whole, it's amazing to see the connections and hard work that each of these ladies have put in to become successful. Many of them have daughters or women in their lives who they are influencing positively with their service to this state and hopefully many of their future generations will continue to be involved politically.

Veronica's Voice

Veronica's Voice is Kansas City's only recovery program dedicated solely to victims of prostitution and commercial sexual exploitation. The ability to leave a life of prostitution, drug addiction, and violence, and transition to a new life, free from these abuses, is difficult. The overall goal of Veronica's Voice is to offer compassionate and non-judgmental counseling and services through peer, survivor-ran services. Veronica's Voice offers individuals who are sexually exploited an opportunity to be educated and empowered to take back their lives.

The organization is named in remembrance of Veronica April Neverdusky. Veronica was 21 years old in 1993 when she was found murdered in Penn Valley Park. She was the mother of three young children. The case remained unsolved until an arrest was made in March of 2007.

There are approximately 1 million prostituted women in North America, or 1% of women in North America are involved in prostitution. A national study shows that 75% of all women used in prostitution were victims of incest and/or physical abuse as children. Most of those involved in prostitution ran away from home at an early age to escape their abuse...then turn to prostitution as a way of survival.

On Christmas Day in Kansas City, there will be a group of women walking in honor of those who have lost their lives to sexual exploitation. This organization needs our help! Please help these women who are working to save other women right here in Kansas City by donating today. Also, please visit their website to learn more.

Get Involved: Missouri Superwoman Submission

I'm calling on all the new readers of this blog to get involved! Send me names of women that you think deserve recognition for their success and I will do my best to interview them, highlighting their achievements on this blog!

Also, if there are news stories that you would like to be reviewed, please send those as well!