Hi Everyone –

I’m hoping that our Public Policy Updates will look more snazzy than this one is — I’m learning about how to use graphics, etc., but I’m not quite there yet.  Meanwhile, I intend to make the Updates more brief. We all have too much going on to wade through a lot of text, but feel free to contact me if you have a question, concern or comment.

1. Signing up for 50/50 Women on Boards (virtual) conference. I know this is egregiously late notice, but the Oregon chapter of 50/50 Women on Boards is presenting a conference about the need for women on corporate boards this Monday, November 15 from 11:00 am to 1 pm. You can still register. Information about the event and the rather impressive Oregon-based panel can be accessed at this LinkedIn site: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/5050-women-on-boards_5050wob-gcbd2021-portlandconversation-activity-6864004023280922624-GL59. For a more direct registration link you can use: https://5050wob.com/events/portland-or/. As you know, one of our primary legislative priorities is to pass a corporate board diversity [See below].

2. Branch Public Policy Chair Project. The State Public Policy Committee, has launched an effort to foster State-Branch collaboration regarding AAUW of OR public policy. Our goals are to make sure all of us know the good public policy work that Branches are doing and to open the lines of communication about public policy advocacy between Branches and the State. Here we are with the nuts and bolts:

(a) Our Branch Public Policy Chairs will provide information about branch public policy activities to our District Directors. These activities can include any kind of PP activity – even reading books that relate to public policy. The District Directors will provide this information to the State Public Policy Committee which will then collate it and report back to Branch PP chairs and District Directors – maybe through Google Docs. I’m sure there are a goodly number of great PP projects which branches are planning and working on even as I write this PP Update. Sharing this information will allow other branches to copy and expand upon these ideas, and the State Public Policy Committee to join in too! As a note, I believe the Central District doesn’t currently have a District Director. I hope this will encourage someone to step up, but in the interim branch public policy information can just be forwarded to me (garner37@mac.com). Thank you District Directors for being willing to serve in this liaison role!

(b) Peggy Shippen, Georgia Applegate and I are also working on a handbook for Branch PP Chairs. [Did you just hear another round of applause, and this time for Peggy and Georgia? Thank you!].

3. AAUW of OR Legislative Priorities.  We’re waiting for the 2023 Session (January – June) to re-introduce the corporate board diversity bill. As you may recall, the bill passed on a bipartisan basis in the House in 2022 but stalled in the Senate Rules Committee when the Session adjourned. We could file it in the Short 2022 Session (February – March 8), but a Short Session doesn’t provide sufficient time to get a bill of this kind to pass through the many legislative hurdles. A Short Session literally races to a conclusion and we wouldn’t want to mount two unsuccessful bids for passage.The State Public Policy Committee carefully considered the pros and cons in making this decision to wait until 2023. Thank you members of our State PP Committee !

Conclusion: I can’t believe we are charging ahead to Thanksgiving and then Christmas-Chanukah-Kwanzaa, etc. celebrations. I wish you all the best, and let’s hope the public policy news will improve.

Warm Regards,

Trish

Trish Garner, J.D., M.S.W.
State Public Policy Chair
American Association of University Women of Oregon

(she / her / ella)
503-407-2341
garner37@mac.com