Working Families Day at the Capitol, Wednesday April 7
Join us as we head to the Capitol to support two crucial bills for Georgia’s working families, and learn how a bill becomes a law!
We will be asking our legislators to support:
Parent Protection Act-Unpaid time off for school visits for children and medical appointments for elderly parents.
Raise the Minimum Wage – Raise the state minimum wage and increase the tipped worker wage.
Date:Wednesday, April 7th
Time and Schedule: 8:30 -9:00am- Arrive for registration, coffee and doughnuts 9:00-10:15am- Training on grassroots lobbying skills and talking points on bills 10:30-11:30am- Tour the Capitol and contact your legislators!
Location:Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Room 306
18 Capitol Square, Atlanta 30334,located across the street from the Capitol on Mitchell Street
How to get there:
Meet at IBEW building @ 8:15amfor free parking and carpools to the Capitol
501 Pulliam St., Atlanta 30310 *Be sure to let us know if you’re joining us for carpooling so we can plan for enough transportation – call or e-mail for directions and to RSVP – 404-222-0037 or jackie@9to5.org or
MARTA directions
-exit GA State MARTA stop -head SW on Piedmont Ave. towards Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE
-Turn right at Capitol Square SW -Turn right to stay on Capitol Square SW/ Mitchell Street
-Coverdell Office Building will be on your left
Let us know you’re coming! RSVP to: jackie@9to5.org or call 404-222-0037
This event is sponsored by 9to5 Atlanta Working Women in coordination with the GA/Job Family Collaborative and the GA Minimum Wage Coalition. For more information on the sponsors of this event visit – http://www.womeninthehalls.org/
The American Association of University Women in Rome, Georgia published an article in the Rome News Tribune in Support of the Parent Protection Act.
In order to encourage local businesses in their area to consider making workplace policies more family-friendly, they will be giving employers with such policies awards of recognition this spring. Patricia DeWitt, author of the article and president of AAUW Georgia writes;
“It is important that family-friendly policies be actual policies and not ad hoc arrangements, because they should be available to all. Employees should not have to beg for them, or wonder if they have the job security to ask for special favors.”
Read the rest of the article here, and find more information on the Parent Protection Act on our website.
GA Council on Developmental Disabilitiespublished an article on the Parent Protection Act in their Winter 2010 magazine Making a Difference explaining how the PPA would positively affect families with children with disabilities by allowing them the necessary time for doctor’s appointments and school meetings.
The article chronicles the origin of the bill and the different groups that have come to support it, from children who want their parents to be able to attend school events, to working parents, to advocates for the elderly like COAGE, and now families facing disabilities. The article includes an interview with business owner Carol Richard who explains that the PPA is good for her business, and Linda and Jennetta Allen, a mother and daughter who struggled to balance work and school with Jennetta’s disabilities.
Member organizations of the Collaborative will be at the Capitol this session lobbying for legislation that will most affect families in Georgia in the upcoming year. Each of the groups below will be including the Parent Protection Act on their legislative agenda.
JANUARY 27 – By the People Lobby Days 9:00am Wednesdays, Room 306 ACLU Georgia is teaming up with other progressive organizations like Georgia Rural Urban Summit, Women in the Halls, and Feminist Women’s Health Center to help you meet and talk with your legislators. Each Wednesday session you will receive information on upcoming legislation we care about and training on how to present it to your legislators. Meet at Cloverdale Legislative Office Building (CLOB- located on Mitchell Street across from the Capitol), Room 306 at 9:00 am. By the People Day will be held each Wednesday during the legislative session.
FEBRUARY 3 – Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Services (G-CAPP) Network Meeting Wednesday, Feb. 3, 9:00am to 11:00am
G-CAPP, in partnership with the United Way of Metro Atlanta, Girls Incorporated of Greater Atlanta and GUIDE, Inc. are pleased to invite all metro Atlanta Adolescent Services Network providers to the first Adolescent Services Network meeting of 2010. The meeting will be held at Loudermilk Center, 40 Courtland Street SE, Atlanta 30303. To RSVP and for more information, please email Joel Alvarado at joel@gcapp.org.
FEBRUARY 11 – Interfaith Children’s Movement Day at the Capitol
ICM is calling upon the interfaith community to come back to the Capitol this year in force. The 2010 legislative session will address the future of Georgia’s children in several pieces of legislation- from child victims of prostitution to health care to a new juvenile code. For information contact info@interfaithchildrensmovement.org or 770.498.2141
FEBRUARY 11 – Presbyterian Rally Day Thursday, Feb. 11, 9:00 am Presbyterians and other interested parties will meet at the Georgia Capitol for a legislative rally to support policies that specifically meet the needs of our young people. 9:00 am Orientation at Central Presbyterian Church 201 South Washington Street across from the Capitol. For more information, please visit RCCAtl.org. Reservations are requested. To RSVP, please email Karen Turney at kturney55@hotmail.com.
FEBRUARY 16 – National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Student Lobby Day
Tuesday, Feb. 16, 8:00am This annual event educates and empowers students by orienting them to the legislative process, and provides an opportunity to observe and interact with Georgia’s lawmakers. The first part of lobby day will be held at the James H. “Sloppy” Floyd Building, 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., Atlanta 30334, in the Floyd Room on the 20th floor in the west tower. We will then proceed to the Capitol. For information contact: Allison Huppman at 770.234.0567 or msnaswga@mindspring.com.
FEBRUARY 25 – Disability Day at the Capitol
Thursday, Feb. 25, 8:00am to 2:00pm
Each winter the Georgia Counsel on Developmental Disabilities invites people with disabilities, family members, policy makers, business leaders, and providers to gather at the Capitol in celebration of community, advocacy, friendship, and achievement. Event will be held at the State Capitol, 206 Washington Street SW, Atlanta 30303. To register, please visit http://www.ciclt.net/sn/events/e_signup.aspx?ClientCode=gcdd&E_ID=500027&RegType=ATT
FEBRUARY 23 – PTA Day at the Capitol
PTA Day at the Capitol provides PTA leaders, members and supporters an opportunity to become more familiar with the legislative process and to actively speak with legislators about education and children’s issues.Develop and put your advocacy skills to work under the Gold Dome and over lunch with your state legislators. Bring a van full of PTA members – all wearing red – and let your voice for children be seen and heard.
This article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution by Cynthia Tucker explains why families can’t take the CDC’s advice and just stay home when they are sick.
On February 26, 2009, the Georgia Job Family Collaborative organized a seniors & kids press conference at the Capitol. Georgia Public Broadcasting’s “Lawmakers” program reported on the event, and the footage can be seen here:
Just click on the “WATCH” link at the top of the page to watch the program. Coverage of the press conference begins at 22:40 and ends at 24:20. If you let the entire program load, you can skip ahead to our event!
We will be asking our legislators to support: