Orange County Democratic Women
OCDW Board Members
President: Linda Foxworth
Vice-President: Deborah Brooks
Secretary: Leigh Zaleon
Treasurer: Sue Jackson
To become a member, please click HERE to download the membership form. Simply print, fill out, and mail the form with your dues.
ERA Resolution
A Resolution calling for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and removal of the time limit.
Whereas, the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly guarantee that all of the rights it protects are held equally by all citizens without regard to sex and the only right it specifically affirms to be equal for men and women is the right to vote in the 19th Amendment, 1920; and
Whereas, the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause has never been interpreted to guarantee equal rights for women in the same way the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) would as demonstrated by the fact that currently cases of sexual discrimination receive only a heightened level of intermediate scrutiny but should receive the highest level of strict judicial scrutiny, just as racial discrimination does; and
Whereas, the ERA ensures that women will have equal rights under the U.S. Constitution, and the 2012 Democratic National Platform reaffirms women’s rights as civil rights as well as its continuing support of the ERA; and
Whereas, the ERA was passed by Congress in 1972 and ratified by 35 of the 38 states necessary to put it into the Constitution, yet was debatably assumed to have expired in 1982; and
Whereas, more recent legal analysis supports the conclusion that the Constitution imposes no time limit for ratification of amendments; Congress can alter time limits in the proposing clauses of amendments, and ratification of the Madison (27th) Amendment 203 years after it was first proposed supports the premise that state ERA ratification votes since 1972 are sufficiently contemporaneous;
Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, that we call on all members of the U.S. House and Senate to co-sponsor, support, and pass into law joint resolution bills* for both the traditional Article V ratification process of the ERA and also for the “three-state strategy” process that would remove the time limit for ratification of the ERA so that ratification shall be achieved upon the affirmative vote of 38 states, of which 35 have already ratified; and
Be it Further Resolved, that the Democratic Women of Rowan County pursue grassroots and legislative strategies for passage of the ERA and support of the Article V and three-state strategies to put the Equal Rights Amendment into the Constitution.
Approved by the Democratic Women of Rowan County, this 3rd day of June, 2013.
*The Senate traditional ERA ratification bill, S.J. Res. 10, was introduced March 5 by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ); bill numbers of other ERA joint resolutions in the U.S. House and Senate will be available upon introduction in the near future.
March 2013 OCDW Meeting
Orange County Democratic Women
Program on Voter ID
March 13, 2013
7:00pm
Owasa Community Room
Jones Ferry Road, Carrboro
Please join the Orange County Democratic Women for an important conversation on harmful voter suppression tactics brewing in the Republican-controlled General Assembly. The panel discussion will take place on WEDNESDAY, March 13 at 7 p.m. in the OWASA Community Room in Carrboro.
Unnecessary voter ID laws will create barriers to access to the polls and will disproportionately affect registered voters who are members of minority groups as well as college students and senior citizens. Voter ID laws are an overt tactic Republicans plan to use to prevent likely Democratic voters from casting their ballots.
Join our panelists for a conversation about these dangerous policies - and how the OCDW can fight back to get all registered voters to the polls in our state.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Message from OCDW President Linda Foxworth: 2013 OCDW Membership
The 2012 election season is over and it is time to look forward to our next steps in the political process. We have a lot to celebrate, especially on the national scene, with the re-election of President Obama. We had disappointing results at the state level which will call for planning and action from all of us to ensure that we turn those results around, and provide support for the staunch Democrats who were successful in their races and will be up for election again before we know it. Before the 2016 Presidential Election, Senator Kay Hagan and the wonderful Democratic women who won seats in the NC House of Representatives will be up for election again. There are also other local races that will be important for us to participate in.
OCDW Meeting - Election Retrospective
2012 June Meeting of the Orange County Democratic Women
ORANGE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN
at DURHAM TECH/HILLSBOROUGH, ROOM 201
(525 COLLEGE PARK ROAD, HILLSBOROUGH 27278
VOTER SUPPRESSION: DEMOCRACY AND DEMOCRATS UNDER ATTACK!
Panelists: Representative Joe Hackney
Judge Beverly Scarlett
UNC Law Professor and Commissioner-elect Mark Dorosin
Take Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. 9.2 miles towards Hillsborough (MLK Blvd. becomes NC Highway 86).
Take left onto Waterstone DriveDrive 0.6 miles and turn right onto the campus parking lot. OR Take Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to I-40 WestTake Exit 261-Hillsborough/Old Highway 86Turn right onto Old Highway 86Travel 0.1 mile and turn right onto Waterstone Dr.Travel 0.6 mile and turn left and into the campus parking lot.
Turn left onto Waterstone DriveDrive 0.2 miles and turn left and into the campus parking lot.
OCDW February Meeting
FEBRUARY OCDW MEETING
OCDW at Lillian's List Donna Brazile Luncheon
Lillian’s List will be sponsoring a luncheon with Donna Brazile from 11:30-1:30, in Raleigh on October 13th. If you would like to attend and sit with fellow OCDW-members OCDW Treasurer Sue Jackson is the contact and can be reached as knowlesjackson@gmail.com. Additional event information can be accessed here: http://www.lillianslist.org/2011BrazileLunch/.
2011 OCDW Legislative Brunch
Saturday, October 22, 2011 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Extraordinary Ventures
200 S. Elliott Rd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Catering provided by A Southern Season
TICKETS: $25 per person
**Limited Seating – payment deadline is October 10th – no refunds after this date**
Please download the form with ticket ordering information by clicking HERE.
OCDW Meeting
The August meeting of the OCDW is Thursday, August 25, 2011 from 7- 9 PM at the Holiday Inn Express in Hillsborough. All members and guests are welcome.
The initial part of the meeting will be a presentation/discussion on the Orange County Referendum for a 1/4 Cent Sales Tax to be on the 2011 ballot.
The remainder of the meeting will cover the use of social media, especially for political purposes.
For additional information contact: Linda Foxworth l_foxworth_2000@yahoo.com
OCDW Sponsored Municipal Candidates Forum
Location will be at OWASA
Save the Date
Save the Date: Saturday, Nov. 5 from 8am-5pm at the Friday Center. Women's Mental Health Across the Lifespan: Puberty, Pregnancy and Perimenopause. The Annual Conference on Eating Disorders and Women's Mental Health sponsored by the UNC Office of Continuing Medical Education. Registration and course info: http://www.med.unc.edu/cme or telephone James Hayes, 919 972 7445.
June OCDW Meeting
ORANGE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN
MEETING ON JUNE 23, 2011 STARTING AT 7PM
THE HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS, 202 Cardinal Drive, HILLSBOROUGH
From Chapel Hill/Carrboro: Take old NC86 to the intersection of Cardinal Drive (at McDonald’s and the BP station). Turn left onto Cardinal Drive and continue to the top of the hill. Or, take I-40 and exit at Exit 261and turn right toward Hillsborough. Go to the intersection of Cardinal Drive (at McDonalds’ and the BP station). Turn left and continue to the top of the hill. From Hillsborough: Take S. Churton through downtown heading south and under I-85. Turn right at the intersection of Cardinal Drive (at McDonald’s and the BP station). Continue to the top of the hill.
______________________________________________________________________________
GENDERED JUSTICE…OR INJUSTICE?
WOMEN AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
From investigation to sentencing and incarceration, we’ll hear about and discuss gender-related issues and dilemmas that confront police officers, judges, incarcerated women and those representing them with:
Judge Beverly Scarlett, District 15-B, District Court
Sabrina Garcia, Chapel Hill Police Department’s Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Specialist
Michelle Luecking-Sunman, Senior Staff Attorney, NC Prisoners Legal Services
State Senator Ellie Kinnaird
The next OCDW meeting is August 25. No meeting in July.
OC Democratic Women March Meeting
ORANGE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN
OCDW March Meeting
ORANGE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN
* Meeting summary from the Feb. 24 meeting as well as the amended by-laws are attached to this blog post.
OCDW Meeting
OCDW Monthly Meeting, OWASA at 7pm
February OCDW Meeting
FEBRUARY 24, 2011 MEETING AND PROGRAM
7PM AT OWASA
ROGERS ROAD, THEN AND NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE
Come participate in OCDW’s February 24th program to commemorate Black History Month and African-American history past, present and future through the lens of the Rogers Road neighborhood. Hear community members talk about the neighborhood's own efforts to grow and change, how it escaped a landfill expansion, and its plans to create a vibrant new chapter for itself.
Panelists: Gertrude Nunn who grew up in that rural part of town in the days before integration when she and her cousins walked through the woods to the original Morris Grove school; Judy Nunn Snipes, Minister Robert Campbell and David Caldwell, Jr. to talk about the campaign they waged joined by volunteers from UNC to relocate the landfill expansion and generate community advocacy for environmental justice; and Rev. Thomas Nixon who will speak about St. Paul AME’s plans to move from deep downtown to Rogers Road where there is land and community support to build a new church and a dynamic community center that will enrich the entire northern boundary of Chapel Hill.
We’ll be voting on changes to the OCDW’s By-laws. A proxy form and the By-laws with amendments are available from Ann Rauchbach (asrauch@nc.rr.com)
Just a reminder about the 2011 membership dues. The membership form is available from Sue Jackson (knowlesjackson@gmail.com)
October 28 Meeting
ORANGE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN
OCTOBER 28, 2010 MEETING AND PROGRAM
STARTING AT 7PM (Note the new starting time)
A.L. STANBACK MIDDLE SCHOOL, 3700 NC 86, South Hillsborough
(Directions: On Hwy 86 just 4 miles north of I-40. Turn right on Storey Lane and right again almost immediately into the parking lot in front of the school)
GARY SAUNDERS, Special Projects Engineer for the Technical Services section, NC Division of Air Quality, will present:
The Role of Nuclear Power in North Carolina’s Energy Future
This is a critical issue that must be resolved by policy and programs that only Democrats can master. If the Senate gains a Republican majority, Burr could become the next chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that would "shape any climate control overhaul that could come out of the Senate. Burr co-wrote legislation this year that would offer federal subsidies for some renewable energy projects and for new nuclear energy plants, a boon for Charlotte-based Duke Energy." The News and Observer, Tuesday, October 5th, 2010.
We'll also be discussing and voting on changes to the OCDW By-Laws, which are attached. The changes require a two-thirds majority of members present to approve them.
The proposed new language is all in blue. Language we propose to eliminate is stricken through.
The changes do two things, substantively: First, the voting quorum during meetings is reduced from 50% to 10% of voting members, present and by proxy; Second, the audit committee is eliminated. However, because it is not advisable, nor probably lawful, for a membership organization to eliminate its audit function, the powers of the executive board have been expanded to include review of the financial affairs of the organization, which maintains a review function but eliminates the committee.
Please note the following Dem events in October:
OCT 16: OCDP BREAKFAST AT THE CAROLINA CLUB STARTING AT 8:30. Tickets available on www.ocdplegislativebreakfast.com
OCT. 21: MARSHALL-BURR DEBATE VIEWING PARTY AND MARSHALL FUNDRAISER AT SUGARLAND ON EAST FRANKLIN ST. in Chapel Hill STARTING AT 7PM
AND:
EARLY VOTING STARTS ON Thursday OCT. 14 IN HILLSBOROUGH AT THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND Monday OCT. 18 IN CHAPEL HILL AT MOREHEAD PLANETARIUM AND THE SEYMOUR CENTER.
OCDW Candidates Forum & August Meeting Minutes
ORANGE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN
ORANGE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN
MONTHLY MEETING SUMMARY, AUGUST 26TH, 2010
The meeting was called to order by Co-president Renee Price at 7:35pm.
1. Announcements by Co-president Price
- The meeting date coincides with the 90th anniversary of ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that granted women the right to vote.
- A Dem candidates’ forum, co-sponsored by the OCDP, will be held on Sept. 28th starting at 7 pm in the Chapel Hill Town Council Chamber in the Chapel Hill Municipal Building on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd next to the fire station.
2. Approval of minutes from the May and June meetings
Absent a quorum, approval of the May and June meetings was deferred.
3. Upcoming Programs announced by Program Chair Mary Bushnell
- Dem Candidates’ Forum on Sept. 28th in the Chapel Hill Town Hall’s Council Chambers starting at 7pm.
- Energy Issues, Resources, and the Energy Future in North Carolina presented by Gary Saunders on October 28th starting at 7:30 in a Hillsborough area venue, which will be announced.
- Election 2010 Retrospective on November 18th, time and venue to be announced.
The Program Committee will be discussing and determining topics, dates and venues for forthcoming programs in 2011, and members were encouraged to submit their ideas to the Program Chair or OCDW officers.
4. Membership report from Co-secretary Ann Rauchbach
OCDW membership currently stands at 66 paid members. New and renewal memberships are being received.
5. Treasurer’s report from Treasurer Sue Jackson
The treasury balance is $1484.85, with payments having been made for the Rebecca Clark scholarship to the Foundation of Durham Tech/Hillsborough campus and for most expenditures for materials and supplies for the letter-writing program.
6. Women-to-Women Win Elections program
Lists of first-time Dem women voters in Orange County in 2008 had been prepared by Linda Chewning and distributed to members during registration. Program Chair Mary Bushnell described the process to be followed and materials available for letter-writing. Members were asked to contact Linda Chewning about returned mail which will enable updating of the Vote Builder database.
The results of the program: 35 participants wrote 476 letters!!!
The meeting adjourned at 9:15.
Respectfully submitted by Co-secretary Lynn Knauff
OCDW August 2010 Meeting
WOMEN’S VOTES WIN ELECTIONS!
- The Women-to-Women Win Elections project is the August 26th meeting focus. At 7:30 pm on Thursday, August 26, at the OWASA meeting room on Jones Ferry Road in Carrboro, we’ll be writing letters to first-time 2008 Democratic women voters in Orange County to encourage them to vote again in 2010 – and the reasons why. The OCDP is providing lists of those voters, and we’re hoping that each of us can complete 10 letters during the meeting. We’ll have a prepared text on OCDW letterhead with space for you to include a personal note, or if you prefer to write a letter, we’ll have blank letterhead sheets, too. Copies of the early voting sites and schedules, pens, and envelopes and stamps will also be provided. Our goal is 500 ready-to-mail letters by 9pm. Please come and bring a friend or colleague with you. Fifty women. 500 letters. Yes, we can! Women’s Votes Win Elections!
- On Tuesday, September 28th, starting at 7:30pm, the OCDW will sponsor a Democratic candidates’ forum in the Chapel Hill Town Council meeting room in the municipal building on 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. next to the fire station. All Democratic candidates on the Orange County ballot will be invited. The forum is co-sponsored by the OCDP.
- Early Voting/One-Stop Voting Tabling will be sponsored by the OCDW at the three early voting sites: Morehead and Seymour Center in Chapel Hill, and the Orange County Board of Elections in Hillsborough. Ann DeMaine is the OCDW tabling coordinator. Susan Romaine will manage and coordinate the Seymour Center site, and Missy Biggers and Lynne Kane will manage and coordinate Morehead tabling. Coordinators and tabling volunteers for Hillsborough are being recruited – if you’re interested, please let Ann know (She is out of town until mid-September, but she can be e-mailed: rdemaine@nc.rr.com
No Meeting in July; August Meeting Information
There will be no meeting in July. The August 26th meeting at OWASA will be a Women to Women Win Elections program, a hands-on workshop to promote voter registration and voting by and among women through direct contact by e-mail and/or letter to family/friends/neighbors/colleagues. Materials provided will include templates, OCDW stationery, and stamps, and laptops will be available. Details of the program will be posted in early August. In September, the OCDW will host a Dem candidates' forum, co-sponsored by the OCDP. Details, including date and venue, will be posted in August.
