Katie Bethell's blog

NEWS RELEASE: For press contact see www.momsrising.org/press

Governor Sarah Palin’s Office Refuses to Accept Letter from America’s Moms

MomsRising.org Attempts to Deliver Letter Asking Governor’s Positions
on Family-Friendly Issues

See pictures of the attempted delivery here

Moms across Washington State are walking their blocs today to help make sure friends and neighbors are registered to vote. This simple and fun activity is a little thing that can make a big difference. Did you know nearly 1 in 12 women in America aren't registered to vote?

And, the best way to get people to register, and vote, is to ask them!

This afternoon, the Power of ONEsie will be unleashed on the Republican Convention in St. Paul. Along with dozens of MomsRising members, we'll unpack the two suitcases that carry this powerful display, we'll don our beautiful sashes, and we'll make hand-drawn signs calling on politicians, pundits, and the media to wake up to the realities of American families today.

This morning, MomsRising moms were in action in Washington, D.C.

These brave MOMs -- wearing sashes saying "Magnificently Overqualified Mother" -- just delivered nearly 9,000 resumes to Senator John McCain in support of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act [1].

Want to send a "Burrito-Gram" to Ohio leaders? It's a fun way to make a serious point about the need for paid sick days in Ohio.

In New Jersey, a broad coalition of organizations including MomsRising is in the final stages of passing Family Leave Insurance. This is terrific news that has important national implications.

MomsRising members came out to the Republican and Democrat debates last week to show the strong support in California for healthcare for all kids. It was a terrific time -- and exciting for this staff person to get some face-to-face time with our fabulous members in CA!

See below for notes from the field and pictures of our efforts!

We're at a critical juncture in our fight for Family Leave Insurance -- a hurdle that, if we don't jump it, will kill the bill. Right now our bill is stuck in the legislative process because it hasn't been scheduled for a hearing by the Assembly Labor Committee. This committee will have only a few more chances to bring this bill up for a vote so it can be heard by the full Assembly.

Breaking News: Congress voted today on the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), but didn't gain the 2/3 majority needed to overturn the President's veto. Now, we have another chance. In the coming weeks Congress will bring children's health insurance to the President again -- and they need our support.

With 1 in 8 children in our nation living without any heathcare coverage, we still have work to do. The good news is that your more than 60,000 emailed letters to Congress, along with the work of our partner organizations, helped build the support that made the vote close enough to try again.

I’m 28 years old, just married in February, and my husband and I would love to start a family… some day. But both of us are at points in our careers where a family just doesn’t make sense. He’s starting his own business, which is rapidly taking off, and I’m doing this exciting work in policy advocacy with MomsRising. We both think that this is the time when we can take a few risks with our careers. Anybody who works for a nonprofit, especially a new one, knows that the work is both rewarding and hard. And, starting a new business is no small task. Both take long hours, the ability to get up and go at a moment’s notice, and of course, something like financial security, but not the kind that makes you feel really good about bringing a new life into the world. Not yet, anyhow.