The Nevada Empowered Women's (NEW) Project is a grassroots, multicultural organization whose mission is to further the rights of low-income women and children by addressing relevant issues such as welfare, child care, child support, housing, and health care, and by changing negative public perceptions.

A Last Look at the Legislature

by Lisa Appelrouth Guzmán

The bad news first. Assembly Bills 4, 5, and 6 to expand Medicaid coverage and create a single application for Medicaid and Nevada Check-Up did not pass. Although these bills would have created more opportunities for low-income families to receive health care services, the additional costs associated with eliminating the Medicaid assets test and providing presumptive eligibility for Medicaid benefits were not looked upon favorably by those holding the state's purse strings. NEW Project was among those speaking out in favor of these bills and will continue to advocate for increased access to healthcare services.

Now for some good news on the health front. AB60, which requires insurance companies to cover prescription contraceptives, passed through the Assembly and Senate and has been signed into law by the Governor. This bill only made sense, since many women have difficulty accessing birth control but are then discouraged from applying for public assistance. AB515, which allows women to have direct access to Ob/Gyn services without prior authorization from a primary care physician, also passed and has been signed by the Governor.

Mental Health was a hot topic during this session. An Assembly bill was proposed to require insurance companies to cover mental health services at the same level as physical care. After much negotiation and the threat of a veto by the Governor, the bill was changed to SB557 and has been signed into law. Although mental health services will not receive coverage equitable to physical care, "Partial Mental Health Parity" is at least a step in the right direction.

Senate Bill 89, which would have created a fund to assist low-income families with utilities, passed through the Senate Human Resources Committee but died in the Senate Finance Committee. Thanks to Senator Joe Neal (D-Las Vegas) for introducing this bill and trying to assist low-income families. Hopefully he will try again in 2001. AB318, which increases opportunities for affordable housing, has passed and should have no trouble being signed into law by the Governor.

Unfortunately, there is some more dismal news on the child care front. AB562, which would give tax credits to businesses who provide on-site child care, did not pass. AB302, which provided funds for child care quality improvements, training, and monitoring, met the same fate. The struggle will certainly continue to provide access to quality, affordable child care in Nevada.

Nevada had two opportunities to secure large amounts of money to use for health care issues, but only one of them has become a reality. You may remember some time ago hearing about Blue Cross / Blue Shield moving from Nevada to Colorado and converting from a nonprofit to a for profit company. The assets gained while the company was in Nevada should have stayed in Nevada, but a bill to make that happen did not pass. Nevadans have now lost out on millions of dollars that could've been used for health care. However, a compromise was made regarding the use of the Tobacco Settlement Funds that Nevada will receive from the federal government. While the Governor originally wanted half of the $39 million to be used for merit-based scholarships (which would not necessarily go to those students with the greatest financial need), 40% will now go to the "Millennium Scholarship" fund and the remaining 60% will be used for health care.

Perhaps the greatest surprise of the session was the passing of AB311, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Thanks and Congratulations to Assemblyman David Parks (D-Las Vegas), who introduced this bill adding sexual orientation to the list of criteria that employers are prohibited from discriminating against. The passage of this bill promoting equal rights for all is a huge victory for Nevada.

Thanks to all of you who followed the legislative activities during the last few months and took the time to call your lawmakers in support or opposition of bills. Your calls really did make a difference!

April Meeting Addresses Domestic Violence

by Cyndi Stearns-Estes

Miriam gave us an introduction to the "Cycle of Violence" and said that it is important to know that any type of abuse will likely become a habit. Many women in abusive situations don't recognize it in its early stages, when it has a chance of being stopped. In addition to physical violence, many other types exist including:

Emotional Abuse - The abusive partner puts the victim down, causes humiliation and guilt over small things.

Isolation - The abusive partner is controlling, insists on knowing every move. Disapproving of friends, tries to drive them away.

Intimidation - The abusive partner gives "looks" and makes gestures that make the victim afraid. Pets are often abused, weapons may be displayed in order to make the victim more afraid.

Coercion and Threats - The abusive partner threatens to physically harm the victim. May leave partner and later return to continue abuse. Suicide threats may be made.

Minimizing and Denying - The abuser minimizes abusive behavior. Often blames the victim for behavior or denies that it exists.

If you or someone you know are experiencing any of the above behaviors, help is available. In Las Vegas, you can call the wonderful women at Safe Nest. In Northern Nevada, you can call the Committee to Aid Abused Women (CAAW) at 329-4150 or the Crisis Call Center at 784-8090 / (800) 992-5757. There is also a toll free National Domestic Violence Hotline, (800) 799-7233.

Message from the President

Teresa Benitez

During the last weekend in April, Board Member Janie Raschilla and I had the pleasure of attending a meeting sponsored by the Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, DC. For the second year in a row, Public Welfare hosted a gathering of its grantees (groups who receive financial support) who are working on welfare issues. It was great spending the weekend with other like-minded organizations such as WEEL in Montana, ACORN, Californians for Justice, JEDI Women, the Welfare Warriors, and many other fantastic groups from around the country. Our time together was spent discussing successes and challenges, examining how to create good policy, and how to get our message out in the media. The highlight of the trip for me was meeting with Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. to discuss educational opportunities for students who are receiving welfare benefits. It was very exciting to meet with him and share our ideas about moving people out of poverty, not just off the welfare rolls. Thanks to Congressman Jackson, the Public Welfare Foundation, and all of the wonderful welfare-rights groups for such an inspiring weekend.

I would also like to take a minute to congratulate Board Member Laura Rappa on her graduation from UNR. Her amazing strength and courage has been an inspiration to us all!

Get Connected with the Women's Health Connection

Reno NEW Project members enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the Women's Health Connection at our May meeting. The Women's Health Connection is part of the Nevada State Health Division's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program that provides free screening services to eligible women throughout Nevada. Given some alarming statistics - breast cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in Nevada and is the most prevalent cancer among women in our state - this program provides some very important services. Women age 40 and over who do not have health insurance or have unmet deductibles can receive pap smears, pelvic exams, clinical breast exams, mammograms (for women age 50 and over), and some diagnostic services. In the event that a concern is detected during a screening, the Women's Health Connection helps its clients locate the appropriate services for treatment. Since the program's inception, it has provided screening services to over 1,000 women throughout the state. Seventeen women were diagnosed with cancer during the past year, and all who were interested in treatment were able to receive it. The income guidelines for the Women's Health Connection are based on the number of people in the household. Income is before taxes:

1 person: $20,125 2 people: $27,125 3 people: $34,125 4 people: $41,125 5 people: $48,125