In 2010 the Mississippi Legislature passed two bills updating domestic violence laws, and a third that rewrote the anti-stalking law. These three laws took effect July 1. What do these new laws mean for Mississippi women and families?
- Senate Bill 2923 was sponsored by Sens. David Blount and Alice Harden, both of Jackson. Under the new law, people who strangle their victims will face felony charges instead of misdemeanor charges. Under the old law, when a victim was choked to unconsciousness, the attacker could only be charged with simple or domestic assault, both of which are misdemeanors.
- Senate Bill 2344, sponsored by Sen. Blount and Sen. Bob Dearing of Natchez, protects victims of domestic violence from discrimination by health insurance companies.
- The anti-stalking, House Bill 1309, was sponsored by Reps. Brandon Jones of Pascagoula and Kimberly Campbell Buck of Jackson. This new law makes aggravated stalking a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $3,000 fine. Under the old law, a successful prosecution was contingent upon being able to prove that the stalker intended to kill his/her victim, a standard that was very difficult to prove.
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The Voters: Men are Fuming, Women Despairing (New York Times)
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A recent New York Times/CBS News poll found a sharp difference in the way men and women say they are going to vote in November. Men say they will vote for the Republican candidate rather than the Democratic candidate in their districts by a margin of 45 percent to 32 percent. The numbers are nearly reversed for women, with 36 percent saying they will vote Republican and 43 percent saying they will vote Democratic. The poll suggests that men are angrier than women, and that their anger may be more motivating than the sense of hopelessness expressed by women, particularly on economic issues. Majorities of both men and women currently have a negative view of the Republican Party. Women, however, maintain their party loyalty and view the Democratic Party positively.
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Newsweek column about why women need the Paycheck Fairness Act
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This column is in response to a New York Times op-ed by Christina Hoff Summers. Summers claims the gender wage gap is a "myth." This Newsweek column disputes Hoff's claims by pointing out, among other things, that a recent survey from Catalyst found that female M.B.A.s who've made exactly the "right" life choices (in terms of higher pay)--no intention to have children, top-tier schools, high aspirations--still earn $4,600 less per year in their first jobs out of business school.
Debate is raging over the need for a Paycheck Fairness Act which would make it easier for women to file class-action suits against employers they accuse of sex-based pay discrimination, and require companies to be more cognizant of their pay practices.
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