US Forum

U.S. FORUM CONNECTION #170, FEBRARY 2018
This publication is intended for your information about issues important to education, women and children.  How you choose to use the information included here is up to you.
This free newsletter is sponsored by the United States Forum of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International is an organization of leading women educators with over 80,000 members. Delta Kappa Gamma members wishing to subscribe to this FREE newsletter should send a request to the editor Angela O. Bedenbaugh at Bedenbaugh.Angela@gmail.com.  We urge you to share this newsletter with other interested individuals who are not members of Delta Kappa Gamma or members who do not subscribe to this publication.
IN THIS ISSUE
NLS IS MARCH 18-20
APRIL IS SEXUAL AWARENESS MONTH
BILLS ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT
GUN LEGISLATION
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
FORUM WEB SITE
NLS IS MARCH 18-20
The National Legislative Seminar will be held March 18-20 at the Holiday Inn, National Airport, Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. Registration forms can be found athttp://www.usforumdkg.org/uploads/4/4/6/6/44667559/nls_registration_2018_updated2.pdf
APRIL IS SEXUAL AWARENESS MONTH
Just as pink has been associated with breast cancer awareness and is observed in February, April has recently been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and is associated with the color teal.  The advent of the “Me Too” movement has motivated women to speak out and become more active in politics.  It is estimated that the number of women running for public office has exploded in the last couple of years.  A survey of hundreds of women in the entertainment industry reported in USA Today found that 94% of  the women in entertainment surveyed reported some form of sexual harassment or sexual assault.
BILLS ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Congressional Sexual Harassment Training Act (H.R.4155, S.2236) the acts provide for mandatory sexual harassment training of anyone in Congress or employed by Congress. Both bills were introduced by women and both were referred to committee.
GUN LEGISLATION
Several bills dealing with the gun issue have been filed.  The Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act (H.R.3947, S.1916). According to the Congressional Record “This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a trigger crank, a bump-fire device, or any part, combination of parts, component, device, attachment, or accessory that is designed or functions to accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle but not convert the semiautomatic rifle into a machine gun.” It does not prohibit law enforcement or government agents from possessing these weapons modifications.  Both bills were sponsored by women. Two other similar bills Assault Weapons Ban of 2017 (S.2095) and Assault Weapons Ban of 2018 (H.R.5077 & H.R.5087) have been filed. None of these bills have been reported out of committee.  Each state has its own set of gun laws, and these laws differ widely. Generally the southern states have the least control on gun ownership.
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FORUM FACEBOOK PAGE LINK
For those of you desiring discussion of legislative topics there is a U. S. Forum Facebook page online at http://www.facebook.com/DKG.US.Forum
FORUM WEB SITE: http://www.usforumdkg.org/
CONTACTING YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you wish to contact your senator to express your opinion, you can call the Congressional Switchboard at 1-866-327-8670 [this is a toll free number].  Another way of contacting your senator is via email or a telephone number which is not toll free both of which are available athttps://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
 Email access and addresses
http://www.house.gov/ for members of the House of Representatives http://www.senate.gov/ for members of the U.S. Senate
White House 1-202-456-1111
FIVE CONSTITUENT CONTACTS WILL CAUSE A LEGISLATOR TO PAY SERIOUS ATTENTION TO A GIVEN ISSUE.​