Last night, GA state Rep. Park Cannon was arrested and charged for knocking on the governor’s door while he signed a dangerous voter suppression bill.
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Six from SiX is your monthly dose of state news that otherwise didn't make it to your inbox.
** Get Loud: Jim Crow 2.0
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Last night, Georgia state Rep. Park Cannon was arrested and charged ([link removed]) for knocking on the governor’s door while he signed an incredibly dangerous and intentionally racist voter suppression bill. The bill ([link removed]) requires an ID to vote, shortens the early voting period, limits drop box locations and more, all in an effort to keep Black voters from the polls. Rep. Cannon has been released and in a statement said “I want you to know that I’m ok, but Georgia voters are not.” We stand with Rep. Cannon and we know you do too. Her request to us is to get loud ([link removed]) . If you’re a legislator in our network, stay tuned for opportunities from SiX to call out the racist and anti-democracy attacks on voting rights and
access happening in state legislatures across this country.
** Stop Asian Hate
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Many state legislators are stepping up in response to the recent hateful, racist crimes against Asian Americans. Bills in Minnesota ([link removed]) and North Carolina ([link removed]) would protect Asian Americans as a protected class in their hate crime statutes. In Georgia where the violence took place last week, new proposals would restrict firearm access and encourage communication between law enforcement and minority communities ([link removed]) . Illinois advanced a bill that would require schools to teach Asian American history ([link removed]) .
** Will State Gun Laws Be Enough?
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As the nation reels from a terribly violent week, progressive state lawmakers are once again considering gun reform. In Colorado ([link removed]) , lawmakers may give municipalities the authority to strengthen gun laws beyond the state’s statutes. Maryland ([link removed]) , Georgia ([link removed]) , and others are considering gun control legislation like closing loopholes and increasing waiting periods. Connecticut ([link removed]) may be a model, but differing state gun laws may make access to firearms too easy across state lines. Take a listen to NPR’s overview of gun legislation at the state level over
the last ten years ([link removed]) . And while the recent horrific acts have renewed the call for gun reform, gun violence didn’t disappear during the pandemic. Gun violence continues to plague communities—especially communities of color—every day ([link removed]) .
** Bipartisan Proposal to Expand Medicaid to Postpartum Moms
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A bipartisan group of Florida state legislators, including the Speaker of the House, stood together this week to support expanding Medicaid for postpartum mothers from two months up to one year ([link removed]) . The increase in care is expected to have significant health benefits and help address the disproportionate racial disparities that exist in maternal health care. Advocates and progressive legislators say this is an important step, but that full Medicaid expansion is still vital to the health and safety of all Floridians.
** Equal Pay Bills on Equal Pay Day
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On Equal Pay Day, the day it takes women to catch up to what their white male counterparts made in the previous year, Michigan legislators filed almost a dozen bills aimed at addressing the wage gap ([link removed]) . Exacerbated by the pandemic, the pay gap worsens significantly for Black, Native, and Latina women. ([link removed]) For women of color, the lifetime wage gap totals over millions of dollars.. The package of Michigan bills includes increased wage transparency, a ban on asking salary history, and increased penalties for wage discrimination based on sex.
** Maine the First State to Implement Racial Impact Assessment of Legislation
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The first of its kind, Maine’s new law creates a process to evaluate the racial impacts of potential legislation ([link removed]) . Now legislators will be required to consider the potential impacts to historically disadvantaged communities and the lives of Black and Indigenous peoples when hearing bills. Sponsored by Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross, the first Black woman to serve in Maine legislative leadership, the law is a first step in addressing the disproportionate outcomes that communities of color face in the policymaking process.
** State Lawmakers, Farmworkers Fight for Fair Wages and Overtime
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Lawmakers in several states have filed bills to protect farmworkers—whose work is essential but whose pay, benefits, and protections are unfairly compensated—by championing bills that would address these historical inequities. In Colorado ([link removed]) , a bill would increase the minimum wage for agriculture workers as well as give workers access to overtime pay and the right to unionize. Oregon ([link removed]) and Washington ([link removed]) are also looking to give workers access to overtime pay and in Florida
([link removed]) , a bill that mimics the federal US Citizenship Act of 2021 ([link removed]) would give Florida’s agricultural workers a path to citizenship along with access to minimum wage and overtime pay.
No Democracy Without Black Women
We, NOBEL Women and SiX, just released "No Democracy Without Black Women: Black Women are Underrepresented in State Legislatures ([link removed]) ," a state-by-state analysis highlighting the need for and the importance of more Black women in state legislatures. We published this report ([link removed]) because we know that Black women need to be at every table, from the statehouse to the White House, where decisions are being made, and to spread awareness that there are a lot of state legislative tables missing our voices. Help us spread the word ([link removed]) today.
After El Salvador, SiX Legislators Fight Abortion Bans
After visiting El Salvador in 2019 with SiX and a group of legislators ([link removed]) , Reps. Stephanie Howse (OH), Raquel Terán (AZ), Merika Coleman (AL), and Cindy Polo (FL) saw firsthand the outcomes of banning abortion—everyone who loses their pregnancy becomes a criminal ([link removed]) . Instead of receiving health care, emotional support, or any kind of help after losing her pregnancy, Sara, one of 13 Salvadoran women affected by of the abortion ban, was imprisoned for seeking an abortion. Sara’s case is set to be reviewed soon.
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The State Innovation Exchange (SiX) is a national resource and strategy center that supports state legislators who seek to strengthen our democracy, fight for working families, defend civil rights and liberties, and protect the environment. We do this by providing training, emphasizing leadership development, amplifying legislators’ voices, and forging strategic alliances between our legislative network and grassroots movements.
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