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JUNE 1, 2026 LEGILATIVE NEWSLETTER
At the May 16th, 2026, BPW Ohio Conference 2026 Business Session the Conference body adopted the organization’s Legislative Platform for 2026-2027. Our new platform contains two (2) new Planks: VOTER RIGHTS and RESIDENCY RIGHTS. Please take the time to review the updated Platform as we will be working on these issues this year. We want to ensure that our voting rights are not diminished and that none of us lose our rights as residents and citizens of this country.
Resolutions from BPW Ohio 2026 Conference
We are continuing our fight to have the ERA recognized as the law of the land and want members to stay engaged in this effort. The Alice Paul ERA continues to be an integral part of our Legislative Platform. We encourage our members to continue to contact your legislators and press for the recognition of the ERA as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution. Additionally, we are asking our members to become engaged in the process to have the Ohio Equal Rights Amendment adopted as part of the Ohio Constitution. Reach out to your legislators and encourage them to Amend Article I of the Ohio Constitution to add Section 23 – The Equality Unter the Law provision.
In this BPW Ohio Resolution we are affirming BPW Ohio’s belief that our right to vote is sacred and that we need to be watchful for any efforts which will diminish our rights to vote or impose unnecessary hardships on those who are exercising their rights to vote. Currently, there are two (2) pieces of legislation that are pending in the Ohio Legislature which could impede or negatively impact our rights to vote – Senate Joint Resolution 10 and House Joint Resolution 9. These resolutions would enact Section 5 of Article V of the Constitution of the State of Ohio to require that “elector’s show photo identification when voting in person at a polling place or other voting location designated by law… Additionally, this legislation provides that “nothing in this section requires the general assembly to pass laws allowing electors to vote in any location or manner other than in person at a polling place on the day of an election.” In other words: no mailing in voting, no absentee voting no early voting. These voting options which you currently have could be eliminated if these Joint Resolutions pass. Voting on these Joint Resolutions are scheduled for some time this month. Therefore, it is imperative for us to reach out to our Legislators and let them know that we do not feel Senate Joint Resolution 10 and House Joint Resolution 9 are in the best interest of Ohioans. The Senate Resolution is pending in the General Government Committee: Some of the Committee members are Senator Kristian D. Roeger – District 27 (614-466-4823); Senator Jane Timken – District 29 (612) 466-0626; Senator Theresa Gavarone – District 2 (614-466-8060; Senator William Blackshear- District 6 (614-466-4538; Senator William DeMora – District 25 (614-466-4583; Senator Stephen Huffman – District 5 (614-466-6247 and Senator Bill Reinke – District 26 (614-466-8049, Call their offices and let them know that you do not support this legislation.
Some of you may be surprised to find out that several years ago, the law was changed to allow 17-year-olds to get married. Currently, pending in the Ohio House and Senate is legislation that would require someone to be 18 years of age before they can be married, When you think about the fact that most young people under the age of 18 can’t enter into a lot of adult transactions, such as buying a house, buying a car, renting an apartment, retaining an attorney, filing a lawsuit or enter into a legally binding contract how is it that we let 17 year olds get married. Bipartisan legislation (Senate Bill 341 and House Bill 670) would ban child marriage in Ohio by raising the minimum age to 18 with no exceptions. The Arguments for banning child marriage include the difficulty of married minors to get divorces, the severe power imbalance if you have a 17-year minor married to someone significantly older than they are and issues related to human trafficking. This legislation was recently scheduled for a vote last week but it was pulled from the Committee’s Agenda. It is currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee. This legislation has already had four (4) hearings since it was introduced earlier this year and so far it does not look like anyone has testified against the legislation but it is still being held up in Committee. Senators on the Judiciary Committee are Nathan Manning (Chair) – District 13 (614-644-7613; Michelle Reynolds – District 3 (614-466-8064; Paula Hicks-Hudson – District 11 (614-466-5204), Lousi Blessing, III – District 8 (614) 466-8068, Al Contorno – District 32 (614-466-8285, Theresa Gavarone – District 2 (614-466-8060 and Kent Smith – District 21 (614-466-4857. Call and request that they move this legislation out of Committee so that it can be passed by the Legislature and protect our youth. Also, be advised that several other organizations including Zonta and Unchained At Last (http:www.UnchainedAtLast.org) are planning a demonstration at the Ohio Capital on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026, in support of this legislation, They will start with lobbing members of both houses from 9:00 am until approx.. 11:30; then lunch from 11:30 am until 1:00 at which time there will be a “Chained In Event” in front of the Capital Building. Lobbing efforts will then resume from 2:00 pm until 5:00. If you want more information about this event or wish to join, reach out to our BPW Ohio Legislative Consultant, Kathey Telban at ktelban@ameritech.net or (216) 650-3153. She is planning to attend. (I may also make it but unsure at this time). In any event, Kathy will be dropping off copies of our Conference Resolution in support of raising the marrying age to 18 to members of the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of BPW Ohio.
Closing Remarks:
BPW members, as you can see, there is always work to be done to continue to protect, advocate and safeguard our rights as women. As your Legislative Chair for 2026-2027, I need your help, your input, and your willingness to be an Advocate for all of the women in your families, in your communities, in your workplace and just in this world. My goal is to try to get something out to you about pending legislation at least monthly but please feel free to pass information along to me that you come across in your daily activities. Please feel free to share this Newsletter with your circle of BPW sisters, your family, your friends, or anyone else you know who will stand up for the rights of women. BPW has been advocating for Women since 1920, We cannot stop now. The need is too great and future generations are relying on us not to grow tired or weary.
Best Personal Wishes to each of you.
Charlon K. Dewberry
BPW Ohio Legislative Chair 2026-2027
Past Legislation
CONSTITUTION AND CITIZENSHIP DAY
SEPTEMBER 17, 1778
Constitution Day, is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It celebrates the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. When the Constitution was ratified, women could not legally own land or property, and married women had no legal claim to their spouse’s money or children. It was not until August 26, 1920 when the Nineteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution that white women were allowed to vote in elections at every level. The 19th Amendment states: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. However, obstacles like poll taxes, literacy tests and other discriminatory state voting laws would keep Black women (and men) disenfranchised for a further 45 years, until the Voting Rights Act was signed into law on August 6, 1965. It was not until 1943 and the passage of the Magnuson Act that Chinese immigrants could begin naturalizing as U.S. citizens. In 1923, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was first introduced. It states: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. On January 27, 2020, Virginia became the 38th State to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (“ERA”) making it the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA ensures United States laws embraces equality for everyone, thereby providing equal rights and protections to all human beings. If you want to learn about the ERA’s Journey to become the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, go to: https://tinyurl.com/ERAJourney A 2020 8 ½ x 11 PDF version of the United States Constitution with the 28th Amendment can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/US-Constitution-2020 A 2020 5 x 4 PDF Pamphlet version can be found here https://tinyurl.com/US-Constitution-Pamphlet For quantities over 500, of the Pamphlet, contact Curt Lepper at Rapid Press 203-348-8884 or curt@rapidpressct.com. This 2020 version is in commemoration of the ratification of The Equal Rights Amendment. It is being provided by an informal group of women's rights advocates carrying on the work of their foremothers that started over a century ago. Please share this version far and wide!
Will You Lose Your Right? Take Action!
Federal HR 22
"Does the name on your birth certificate match the name you go by today? Or did your last name change when you married? If the names don’t match, the federal SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) would require proof on paper that you are a U.S. citizen before you can register to vote or update your voter registration information." HR 22 is the resurrected HR8281 from 2024. HR8281 passed the House and was lost in the Senate. Now it is back again threatening to take away the voting rights of over ___ million women in the USA. Click on the following links for more information. It’s back again. Take Action! Discriminatory SAVE Act - Equal Rights Amendment North Carolina Alliance NCJW - Oppose Save Act Action Alert https://www.ncjw.org/act/action/save-our-democracy-stop-the-save-act/ LWVUS has an action alert to contact your MOCs to oppose the SAVE Act: https://www.lwv.org/take-action/tell-your-members-congress-oppose-save-act
There were six (6) BPW Ohio members present for the press conference. (l-r) BPW Legislative Consultant Kathy Telban, Immediate PSP Liz Herrell, IPSP Stephanie Bridwell, Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson. PSP Paulette Knazek, PSP Charlon Dewberry, Senator Kent Smith, and BPW Ohio Legislative Chair Pat Talbot. On Tuesday, February 27, 2024, then President now Past State President (IPSP) Stephanie Bridwell spoke with State Senators Kent Smith and Paula Hicks-Hudson on proposed legislation the "Pay Equity Hotline" to address inequities in the workplace and the "Fair Paycheck Workplace" to recognize companies that pay their employees equally. Both these measures would strengthen the current Ohio law prohibiting wage discrimination. Charlon Dewberry commented via her email that our BPW President Stephanie Bridwell gave remarks supporting the pay equity legislation. I am sure it was recorded by the Ohio Channel so you can probably go to their website and pull it up for yourself. She did a wonderful job and this was a great opportunity for BPW Ohio to showcase our work on behalf of working women. Please share this information with others and lets get actively involved in the fight to secure pay equity for all women. If anyone is counting, this is our second trip to the Statehouse to advocate on our legislative platform issues in the last couple of years - Lobby Day in November 2022 and yesterday. Let's keep it going.