Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SJR17 Compare Versions

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2	2	CMH:cjs&skw
3	3	2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
4	4	2023 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTIO N 17
5	5	March 14, 2023 - Introduced by Senators BALLWEG, L. JOHNSON, CABRAL-GUEVARA,
6	6	AGARD, FELZKOWSKI, HESSELBEIN, ROYS and TAYLOR, cosponsored by
7	7	Representatives DITTRICH, SUBECK, SAPIK, ANDRACA, DUCHOW, BILLINGS,
8	8	ROZAR, CABRERA, RODRIGUEZ, CONLEY, NEDWESKI, DRAKE, HURD, EMERSON,
9	9	VANDERMEER, HONG, SCHUTT, JACOBSON, MYERS, NEUBAUER, ORTIZ-VELEZ,
10	10	PALMERI, RATCLIFF, SHANKLAND, SHELTON, SINICKI, STUBBS and VINING.
11	11	Referred to Committee on Senate Organization.
12	12	Relating to: proclaiming March 2023 as Women's History Month.
13	13	Whereas, American women of every race, class, and ethnic background have
14	14	made historic contributions to our nation in countless recorded and unrecorded
15	15	ways; and
16	16	Whereas, the Wisconsin Legislature granted property rights to married women
17	17	in 1850; and
18	18	Whereas, in 1869, the first women graduated from the University of Wisconsin.
19	19	This same year, the Wisconsin Legislature passed a law allowing women to run for
20	20	school boards and other elective school offices, though they could not vote in school
21	21	board elections until 1884; and
22	22	Whereas, in the campaign for Women's Suffrage, Wisconsin produced notable
23	23	suffragists such as Olympia Brown of Racine, Clara Bewick Colby of Madison, Carrie
24	24	Chapman Catt of Ripon, Jessie Jack Hooper of Oshkosh, Ada James of Richland
25	25	Center, and Belle Case La Follette of Baraboo; and
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43	43	Whereas, Wisconsin is part of the original 36 states to ratify the 19th
44	44	Amendment to the United States Constitution, which provides, “The right of citizens
45	45	of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or
46	46	by any State on account of sex," and holds the distinction of being the first state to
47	47	ratify, on June 10, 1919, and formally certify its ratification papers in Washington,
48	48	D.C.; and
49	49	Whereas, in July 1921, after decades of campaigning by women for voting and
50	50	other rights, Wisconsin passed the nation's first women's equal rights law, declaring
51	51	“Women shall have the same rights and privileges under the law as men," including
52	52	“holding office"—affirming women's right to hold any public office; and
53	53	Whereas, a 1923 survey of Wisconsin cities and villages by the University of
54	54	Wisconsin's Municipal Information Bureau identified more than 400 women in
55	55	public office, of whom approximately half sat on school and library boards and who
56	56	also included Wisconsin's first female mayor, county supervisor, sheriff, nine
57	57	alderwomen, 12 village trustees, and dozens of clerks and treasurers; and
58	58	Whereas, in 1925, three women, Representatives Mildred Barber of Wausau,
59	59	Hellen Brooks of Caloma, and Helen Thompson of Park Falls, were the first female
60	60	assembly representatives to be elected to the Wisconsin Legislature; and
61	61	Whereas, Wisconsin amended its own constitution in 1934 to include women's
62	62	suffrage; and
63	63	Whereas, in 1983, the Wisconsin Women's Council became a permanent state
64	64	agency governed by a bipartisan board appointed by the governor and legislative
65	65	leaders; and
66	66	Whereas, in 2023, a total of 41 women took their seats in the state assembly and
67	67	senate, the most ever in Wisconsin history; and
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96	96	Whereas, the role of American women continues to evolve, and their positive
97	97	contributions to our culture, society, and government continue to grow and inspire
98	98	future generations; and
99	99	Whereas, throughout the history of the United States, whether in their homes,
100	100	in their workplaces, in schools, in the community, in the courts, or during wartime,
101	101	women have fought for themselves, their families, and all people of the United
102	102	States; and
103	103	Whereas, since the American Revolution, women have been vital to the mission
104	104	of the Armed Forces, with nearly 2,000 Wisconsin women serving on active duty and
105	105	over 30,000 women veterans from Wisconsin representing every branch of service;
106	106	and
107	107	Whereas, American women have played and continue to play a critical
108	108	economic, cultural, and social role in every sphere of life and constitute a significant
109	109	portion of the labor force working inside and outside the home, with women now
110	110	representing approximately half of the workforce of the United States and owning
111	111	more than 10,000,000 businesses; and
112	112	Whereas, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, women are at the helm of
113	113	about 18 percent of all employer firms located in Wisconsin; and
114	114	Whereas, the women of Wisconsin have been and continue to be leaders in the
115	115	forefront of international affairs, social change efforts, education, journalism,
116	116	literature, art, film, technology, math, science, athletics, and other fields including,
117	117	but not limited to: Golda Meir, who grew up in Milwaukee, was the Prime Minister
118	118	of Israel from 1969-1974; Nobel Peace Prize winner and Liberian president, Ellen
119	119	Johnson Sirleaf, who attended school in Madison, was the first female head of state
120	120	of any African country; Vel Phillips, a woman of many firsts, was the first Black
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149	149	woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School, the first woman
150	150	alder elected to the Common Council of Milwaukee, the first woman judge in
151	151	Milwaukee County, the first African American to serve in Wisconsin's judiciary, and
152	152	the first woman elected as Wisconsin's Secretary of State; Dickey Chapelle was the
153	153	first female American war correspondent to parachute with American troops and the
154	154	first killed covering combat; Electa “Wuhwehweeheemeew" Quinney was
155	155	Wisconsin's first public schoolteacher; Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the “Little
156	156	House” book series, hails from Pepin; Lorraine Hansbury, playwright for A Raisin in
157	157	the Sun was the first Black woman to have a play produced on Broadway; Georgia
158	158	O'Keeffe of Sun Prairie is a major American artist of the 20th century who developed
159	159	a unique approach to abstract painting that reflected the landscapes around her; and
160	160	Bonnie Blair is a world record-holding speed skater, a six-time Olympic medalist,
161	161	and the most decorated woman in Winter Olympic history; and
162	162	Whereas, despite the advancements of women in the United States, much
163	163	remains to be done to ensure that women realize their full potential as equal
164	164	members of society in the United States; and
165	165	Whereas, National Women's History Month recognizes and spreads awareness
166	166	of the importance of women in the history of Wisconsin and the United States; now,
167	167	therefore, be it
168	168	Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the month of March
169	169	2023 shall be designated as Women's History Month.
170	170	(END)
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