LANSING – After conducting a Women’s Health and Economic Security Task Force during the summer, the Michigan House Democrats said at a news conference on Monday they will continue their work on policies designed to help women overcome hurdles in the work force and with health care access.

Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright (D-Muskegon), who co-chaired the task force with Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), said the policies offered by the Democrats would provide real solutions to unfair problems women face in the workforce, in getting access to health care and when raising children.

The Democrats have previously introduced bills that would provide pay equity for women (HB 4516, HB 4517, HB 4518 and HB 4519), make it illegal to discriminate against a woman for breastfeeding in public (HB 4733), promote preventative care for women including providing age-appropriate sex education (HB 4721), and require health facilities to provide emergency contraception to rape survivors (HB 4067).

“These are challenges that Michigan women and their families grapple with every day,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit), task force member and sponsor of HB 4733. “But instead of making it easier for them to start and maintain good careers, care for their families and stay healthy, many new laws created by Republicans hold them back. We’re going to work hard to make sure women and families get a fair deal.”

The Democrats also are continuing to promote raising the Earned Income Tax Credit to 11 percent of the federal income tax credit (HB 4566) and a bill that would create a state income tax credit for child or dependent care (HB 4005).

New proposals in the task force report include:

Encouraging employers to disseminate information regarding child care resources to employees;

Directing financial institutions to keep joint account patrons informed that either account holder can withdraw money or close the account;

Continuing to ensure women are protected from workplace discrimination for contraception and other reproductive health decisions; and

Encouraging girls and young women to pursue careers in math and science.

Irwin said he and his colleagues have spent considerable time urging the House Republicans to support or at least give a committee hearing to legislation he said is important to help the state get on the right track.

“Certainly, there hasn’t been enough progress over the decades,” he said.

Irwin said he has contacted committee chairs to try and get some bills hearings to no avail. Rep. Kevin Cotter (R-Mount Pleasant), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, where Ms. Tlaib’s breast feeding bills sits, could be reached for comment.

Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R-Alto), chair of the House Education Committee, where Irwin’s sex education bill sits, said the committee is strapped for time, and she doesn’t plant to take it up.

“I haven’t taken a good look at the bill, but obviously sex education is something I think is really important,” Lyons said. “(But), local school boards at the direction of parents have strong control over sex education.”

Lyons also said she has something to say about pay equity in the workforce for women.

“I am a working woman, and a mother,” she said. “It would be disturbing that it is true that a woman makes less money, all things being equal, in the workforce.”

She also said compensation is more than just money, and that some jobs have other benefits – such as more time. Lyons also added she knows what she is worth, and isn’t timid about making the case for how much money she should make.

The legislation that would provide pay equity for women sits in the House Government Operations Committee. Rep. Pete Lund (R-Shelby Township), chair of the committee, said thousands of bills are introduced each term and not every bill gets a hearing.

Lund said he hasn’t looked at the legislation, and added “I find that good bills don’t need press conferences.”

Ari Adler, spokesperson for House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall), said Bolger has not taken a position on pay equity legislation or the public breast feeding bill because he prefers “to let the committee process take its rightful course without any undue influence from this office.”

“Members are encouraged to work with the committee chairs in a positive manner to have their bills taken up,” Adler said. “The committees have a lot of issues and bills before them and the chairs do their best to prioritize and handle as many issues as they can.”

House Democrats at the news conference also said the Right to Life of Michigan petition drive to bar insurers from offering abortion coverage unless done sold as a separate rider would undermine the Legislature and would discriminate against women by making them pay more for health care.

Adler said the system isn’t designed to make legislators feel appreciated.

“I’m surprised the Democrats are opposed to the people’s right to petition the government or place an issue on the ballot for the voters,” he said. “Do they feel that way about all issues, or only those they don’t agree with?”

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