History of Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators
History of the Caucus of Women Legislators
Written July 1998 - found in the Caucus Office
The Caucus was founded in April 1975 by 14 women from the House of Representatives. The fourteen women were: Carol Amick, Doris Bunte, Eleanor Campobasso, Genevra Counihan, Mary Fantasia, Ann Gannett, Mary Goode, Barbara Gray, Iris Holland, Marie Howe, Elizabeth Metayer, Elaine Noble, Lois Pines, and Karen Swanson. With its inception, the then Speaker of the House (David Bartley) provided the organization with a staff person. Two Representatives, Marie Howe and Lois Pines, assumed the roles of Co-Chairs.
The determining factors behind the group's development were a desire among the members to pass the state ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) and a general sense of camaraderie and support. Members frequently supported each other on the floor by relinquishing their debate time for one another despite the issue or position and by giving their undivided attention to a woman speaking at the rostrum.
Initially, the Caucus agreed to elect rotating officers for six-month terms. A quorum of six members was established to conduct routine business, membership fees were set, and an agreement was reached that Caucus priorities and actions would be established by consensus. It was decided in 1993 that Caucus Co-Chairs, one Senator, and one Representative should serve for one-year terms. Co-Chairs rotate alphabetically. Over the years, the Caucus has grown in size (there are currently 46 women legislators, most of whom have joined the Caucus). Membership also includes Senators.
Originally, the Caucus supported a small number of bills and met frequently with state visitors and dignitaries. However the bulk of activity centered around strategy on the ERA. In recent years, the Caucus has supported not only a list of bills, but budget items also, both in line with the priority issues of the Caucus and the areas of particular interest to the task forces.
The Caucus has evolved a set of objectives around which their work centers. They include enhancing the economic status of women by promoting their economic independence; protecting women's individual rights; encouraging and fostering women in all levels of government as employees, legislators, and government officials; and providing communications services for women's organizations and legislators regarding women's issue and the process of public policy decision-making and power.
As the Caucus has grown, so have the issues in which they have become involved. In the early years, interest centers around ERA implementation, maternity leave, divorce, rape, displaced homemakers, equal credit opportunities, midwifery and child care. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, new issues were added to their agenda: affirmative action, domestic violence, DES, sexual harassment, firearms, flex-time, mastectomies, and services for the elderly. The remainder of the 1980s saw interest grow in the areas of health care, pregnant and parenting teens, surrogacy, gender bias in courts, discrimination, housing, women in the criminal justice system, and poverty. The 1990s have so far been dominated by the issues of domestic violence, welfare reform, and economic empowerment. For the Caucus, the effect these critical issues and their outcomes have on women and their children in Massachusetts have been of paramount concern.
During the last ten years, the Caucus has established several sub-committees to explore more thoroughly some of these issues. Current task forces of the Caucus are: Adolescent Health, Women's Health, Women in Poverty, Women in the Criminal Justice System, and Domestic Violence. Starting in 1990, the priority issue of the Caucus was Domestic Violence. Several pieces of legislation filed and supported by the Caucus resulted in significant changes in the laws protecting battered women and their children. Caucus members have also been instrumental in securing and increasing funding for programs and shelters for battered women. During the 1997 Annual Meeting, the members voted to change the focus to the issue of reforming the pension system and promoting women's economic independence.
As legislators, Caucus members have the opportunity to address the needs of women in the Commonwealth through several avenues, including legislation to produce statutory changes, oversight of the Executive branch, and passage of the annual state budget. Each year, the Caucus systematically studies the dollars in this budget which provides critical services for women and their pregnant and parenting teens, breast care, health care, housing, rape crisis centers, education and training opportunities, welfare benefits, and services to incarcerated women. Over the years, the Caucus has developed into a sophisticated organization, serious about its commitment to strengthening the position of women and ensuring their economic self-sufficiency both inside and outside the government through the legislative process.