New laws
to improve
women’s lives
DESPITE our governor's opinion, this just-completed 1999 legislative session wasn't exactly "do-nothing" when it came to laws for women, about women and propounded by women.
Thanks to the all-female, 17-member Legislative Women's Caucus, led by a wahine named Marilyn, and supportive kane legislators like Cal, Ed, Avery, Matt and Ken I., an impressive slate of bills was passed that directly benefits girls, women and children in general. The new laws include:
HB 532, which provides that no person shall be excluded from participating in any athletic activity offered by a public high school on the basis of gender. Attorney Jill Nunokawa is the champion of this long overdue effort toward gender equity.
HB 177, which facilitates the granting of a temporary restraining order in harassment cases; SB 590, which strengthens penalties for persons violating TROs, including uniform sentencing; and SB 823, which increases penalties for domestic violence crimes committed in the presence of a minor. The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence lobbied hard for these improvements.
SB 829, which brings the Hawaii Rules of Evidence in civil cases into conformity with current rape shield laws regarding a victim's past behavior. The Hawaii Women's Coalition, among others, wanted to save the reputations of rape victims being dragged through the mud when their assailants are on trial.
SB 616, the Prostitution Coercion Liability Act, which now enables individuals who were coerced into prostitution to bring legal action against their pimps. A mom whose daughter was forced to become a streetwalker provided emotional, riveting testimony.
SB 822, which requires employers to provide contraceptive services as part of basic health care, and HB 622, which requires insurers to cover yearly mammograms for all women over the age of 40. Insurers and employers can pay now or pay even more later for unintended pregnancies and breast cancer.
HB 266, which prohibits employers from preventing lactating employees from expressing breast milk during their meal times or break periods at the office. Could we finally have a little corporate compassion and cooperation for the breast-feeding mother who must go back to work?
HIP, hip, hurray! Now how about a rousing chorus of "For She's A Jolly Good Fellow" for the Women's Legislative Caucus: Representatives Lei, Emily, Iris, Bertha K., Marilyn, Bertha L. Sylvia, Barbara, Colleen M., Hermina, Cynthia and Terry; and Senators Jan, Suzanne, Carol, Colleen H. and Lorraine.
Yes, legislators are supposed to make laws for everyone. Often, however, a certain segment of the population needs special attention, especially when that group is underpaid, overburdened with child-rearing and household responsibilities, underrepresented as elected officials and judges, more often living in poverty, and discriminated against more frequently than the other segment of the community.
Aloha to the 1999 "do-something" Women's Legislative Caucus, already gearing up for next year. A woman's work is never done.
Diane Yukihiro Chang's column runs Monday and Friday.
She can be reached by phone at 525-8607, via e-mail at
DianeChang@aol.com, or by fax at 523-7863.
