This week we must take action and make our voices heard on several bills related to economic justice, violence against women, and LGBT rights. Click here to find your legislators. Your quick call will make a big difference in letting your legislators know how important these issues are to the community.

Supporting Families and Communities:

RI NOW supports expanding funding for family planning (HB7710), providing low-income parents with the child-care assistance needed to balance work and family (HB7105 and SB2243), improving the quality of housing (HB7265), investing in RI workers (HB7642), and making the RI Works Program more effective in helping low-income women and their families (SB2764). Legislators will listen to testimony on these bills this week. Tell your representative and senator to vote YES on these bills.

Strangulation Bill:

The Senate votes Wednesday on SB 2147 Sub A, which classifies strangulation as a felony and therefore increases the potential penalty for this type of domestic violence. Tell your state senator to stand up for women and vote YES.

The Homeless Bill of Rights:

The Senate votes Wednesday on SB2052 Sub A, the Homeless Bill of Rights, which would help "to provide all residents with an equal opportunity to live in decent, safe and sanitary accommodations regardless of housing status." All women and men deserve to have a safe, clean place to return to each day. Tell your state senator to vote YES.

Marriage Equality:

The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing at the Rise of the House on Wednesday on HB7845, the bill to establish marriage equality in RI. The hearing will also include the bill on equal access to family court (HB7752) and a bill that would eliminate the harmful religious exemption from the Civil Unions bill that passed last year (HB7753). Does your representative sit on the committee? Call him or her! Tell them to vote YES for equality.