Event to Honor Women’s Votes, Suffragists Values, Challenge Whitman for Dishonoring Women’s Progress through Poor Voting Record and Wall Street Agenda

A growing cross section of California women’s, labor, and community groups will be joining thousands of registered nurses in Sacramento, Calif. August 26, to mark the 90th anniversary of women securing the right to vote with a modern day suffrage celebration. Participants will march, many in period costume, from the Sacramento Convention Center to a rally on the West Steps of the State Capitol.

WHEN:     Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010
TIME:       March, 3 p.m., Rally, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
WHERE:   March from Sacramento Convention Center to
                 Rally at West Steps of State Capitol, Sacramento, Calif.

In addition to the California Nurses Association, major endorsers of the event include the California Teachers Association, California Professional Firefighters, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, California 9-5, National Association of Working Women, California Alliance for Retired Americans, California Labor Federation, Equality California, Consumer Federation of California, California School Employees Association, and many others.

The event commemorates a century of women’s votes and values and will also protest candidate Meg Whitman who, the marchers will say, dishonors this legacy by having rarely voted much of her adult life and by advancing a Wall Street agenda which cares little for the needs of the most vulnerable Californians, including women, children, and working-class families.

“Just as we’ve always cared for California’s families, nurses were leaders in the fight for voting rights. Today, we continue to work to ensure our elected officials support our values of caring, compassion, and community,” said Malinda Markowitz, RN, CNA co-president.

“The protection of our democracy is a core value of public education and the teaching profession," said David A. Sanchez. "Educators were in the forefront of the movement for women’s suffrage, just as we are dedicated today to promoting the democratic reforms we need for a more just society, and to electing public officials who stand for those values. The California Teachers Association is proud to join this anniversary event on Aug. 26.”
 
“Our rallying cry in 2005 was ‘no retreat … no surrender,’” said California Professional Firefighters President Lou Paulson. “This year, we’re standing together again with the same mission – protect jobs for working families, and secure the basic rights and security we’ve worked our careers to maintain.”
 
“Securing voting rights for women was a key milestone in moving toward the promise of full democracy for our nation. Many suffrage leaders went on to work for other key reforms such as Social Security and Medicare which remain under attack today,” said Nan Brasmer, president of CARA. “Our members today understand the importance of honoring the vision and values of the suffrage leaders by fighting to protect the goals they stood for and electing leaders who will stand with us.” 
 
“9to5, National Association of Working Women, celebrates the courage, determination, and perseverance of our foremothers in fighting and winning the right to vote.  We  honor that struggle by renewing our determination today on the 90th Anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to win for women the good jobs with good benefits and living wages that we must have for true economic independence and real freedom,” said Cathy Deppe, lead organizer, California 9to5, National Association of Working Women.

"Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California is here to say NO to a woman who cared so little about this important fundamental right that she rarely voted for 27 years and to say NO to a woman who refuses to protect state funding for California’s effective family planning services and programs that provide cancer screening, STD testing and teen pregnancy prevention," said Kathy Kneer, PPAC president and CEO.