- Our topic tonight, is Women's Political Caucuses, and our guest panelists are Cindy Robinson, Ellen Gold, and Jean Robinson. I had a particular reason for inviting these three panelists tonight. Jean, I suppose you know why you were invited? Are you taking a part in the Lawrence Women's Political Caucuses? - Yes. The three of us are coordinators for the Lawrence Women's Political Caucus, and we'll be the coordinators throughout the summer. - Could you tell us when and how you got interested, and involved in the Women's Political Caucus? - I first became aware of the caucus, when the women of Wichita who had formed a Wichita Women's Political Caucus invited the Women of Kansas to meet in Wichita on March 4th, to decide if there was a need for a Kansas Women's Political Caucus. And at that time there were about a dozen women from Lawrence who met in Wichita, and decided that we would come back to Lawrence and see if there was enough interest to create a local caucus here. - Hmm. How about you, Helen? When did you get interested and how? - I guess I got started by subscribing the Common Cause, which emphasizes the necessity for citizens to participate in government. And then I read an article in the National Observer, describing some of the goings on in politics throughout the country, how men took all the decision-making posts for themselves and left the women to make the coffee. And the article, The National Observer, described this new group, the Women's Political Caucus. And suddenly, there was a notice that there was going to be a beginning group in Wichita, so that's why I went. - Mm-hmm. How about you, Cindy? - I've always been interested in women's movement and in politics, both. And when a chapter of the political caucus was formed in Kansas city, I went to the first meeting with my mother. But living here in Lawrence, I was really more interested when a local caucus was formed and in working with Kansas city. - How about the local, the Lawrence caucus, so when does it meet? - Technically we meet on the first and third Mondays of the month at 7:30. Usually, in a local bank, or in someone's home. Recently, we've been meeting almost every Monday, but our meetings are announced each week, or each time that we meet in the Florence Journal World. - Could you tell us when the next meeting is? - The next meeting is in evening, at eight o'clock. It's at Bobby Hussein's house, which is 925 West 29th street. - 920? - 925 West 29th street. And any interested woman is welcome to come to these meetings. This is a non-partisan or do it as I was bi-partisan group. And Republicans and Democrats are all welcome. - Well, perhaps we'd better establish what is a Women's Political Caucus. First of all, you people have made reference to a National Women's Political Caucus that was held in Washington, to a state political caucus held in Wichita, and to a local political caucus. And by the way, yeah, and what about other States? Do many States have a state caucus? - Yes. There've been a number of States in which the political caucus got formed rather early and is a fairly active. The national caucus was formed by some people whose names are familiar to people who have kept up with the women's movement, people like Betty Friedan and Bella Abzug, and the Donna Harris form this group, was about a year ago, I believe so. - So, how would you define it? What is Women's Political Caucus? - Well, one of our goals is as we stated, is to gain political power. And as we see it working out in practice, this means that we want to put women in decision-making positions, not just the secretarial or subordinate positions, but in positions where women actually make the decisions. - And that would be in all levels, in all phases of the political process. So, we were anticipating that we we should be in policy-making positions within the major political parties, in elected positions, in appointive positions, and in all of the easily seen and unseen jobs, and positions of responsibility - Because I like to emphasize this about that. An appointive position may also be a responsible position. And for a long time, while women have not been appointed to positions in their fair share, I suppose we should say. - Any other comments about the purpose of it is? You said fair share? So, you've mentioned that several times, we hear occasionally and people asking, other women wanting to take over the political processes. Have you seen any evidence of that? Any of you? - I think that'd be pretty unrealistic. The way women participate in politics now, what can you take over the coffee machines maybe. I really think that maybe a 100 years from now, you could worry about women taking over politics, but it's pretty unrealistic right now. - And is there a process of, you have to... Each woman has to be coaxed or prodded, or decide for herself to make the decision. And it's kind of a one-by-one thing right now. - What did the have you been doing in the Lawrence Political Caucus Center was established? I wanted have to say it was established? Actually, our organizational meeting, I believe was in April, but we've been functioning as a caucus, perhaps just since May. So, after a couple of meetings of trying to decide with all the many tasks that we wanted to undertake, we decided that with the filing date coming up so soon, and that is tomorrow, that we would just channel our energies for this month, to try to seek out and encourage women who might choose to run for any elective office. So, we've been working on that one issue for the last month. - Have you had any luck? - Well, not much at all. Everybody says, come back in two years, and you know, maybe I'll run in. But there aren't any immediate results. - I would say, I feel at times that the results have been more hopeful than that. Although, we have not gotten any women to file for this election. We've gone to a lot of women, and spend some time with them, and they are now thinking of themselves as possible candidates. If you think about it, like if the woman is in the least bit qualified, why it's rather flattering for people to come to you and say we now, we think you're well enough qualified to be a political candidate, won't you think about running? And I believe that some of the people to whom we've talked recently, will in the future, go ahead and file for office. - Filing for office is something that you usually have to think about for a long time before you finally come to it, it's quite a commitment. And it's a lot of work, it's a lot of time, it's a lot of trouble. I really agree with what Ellen says. If we had really expected and hope to get a lot of women to file for office, we would have had to start a couple of years ago. It's just something that really takes a lot of time before people can make that kind of commitment. - This has been a positive experience for those of us in the caucus too, because we've met some qualified women who we are aware of now, and perhaps we know them a little bit personally, and the contact is there. Also, we've been learning about the political process, knowing you can't start this late, knowing that there are people that should be talked with, and that we can learn from a lot of women who have been actively involved in the political process in Lawrence. We've not filed for office but have been instrumental in the campaigns of many men who've been elected over the past decades. - And have you been... Have any of these women talked to, the Lauren's political caucus? Tell you something about the kinds of programs you've had? - In one of the first meetings we had was with Dr. Helen Galas and Julie Half, who are both members of the school board, and these people were elected to the school board. And then we also asked Betty Joe Charlton, who has run for the state legislature to come and talk to us. Now, Betty Joe was defeated, but she has run a political campaign, so she knows something about what this involves. And we still hope to hear from Nancy Hamilton sometime, who is on the city commission, but was too busy to talk to us that one night. - So, it really represents three different aspects of the political process? And it doesn't have to the partisan ones, because all of those people that, the school board members run on? - They're non-partisan. - They're non-partisan? - In fact, the three women who were successful in the last election, did not run on a partisan campaign. The school board is city commissioned, it's not a Republican and Democratic contest. - Why do you feel that some of the people you've talked to, I presume you have talked to about running for the Kansas Legislature, is that right? - Yes. - Why do you feel that it's important to have women run for the legislature? - I guess that's kind of basic to the whole philosophy of the women's movement. We like to say that women, get their 50% representation. There are some feeling that women are a little more sensitive to human issues, such as ending the war, and the war on poverty and so forth, than men, I don't know if this is really true. But at any rate, since men are currently making the laws for all of us, men and women, it seems to us that women should be in there making some of the laws. - And how many women are currently in the legislature? - Two. - In The House or Senate? - There are no women in the Kansas Senate, and there are two women in our House. - Both of them voted against the equal rights amendment, I believe. We'll showed you that women can't always be counted on to vote for these issues. - But the issues are- - Along sex lines. - I heard this past week of one legislature, or one the state legislature, either in Vermont or New Hampshire, but one of the New England States that has 72 women in it's house in Senate. Two in the Senate, 70 in the House. Even this doesn't come close to the 50% representation you're talking about. And now, why 50%, let's clarify that? - For the simple reason that women are at least 50% of the population of Kansas. - And an even higher percentage of the adult population, so it does seem perfectly reasonable. But it also helps to know, it seems to me that in some places, a great many strides have been made in getting women to see themselves as logical candidates. Is there any opposition that you have run across from a party officials to having women run for office? - None that we have encountered, I believe. The only opposition is perhaps opposition by omission. But there are certainly, the opportunity, in each of the major political parties for women to file, and the statement of the parties have simple felt that if women file, then they will have the opportunity to be elected but they will not be sought after because they are women. So, if there's any opposition, it's been in the minds of the women who couldn't file at this time. - If they haven't had very many models to go on, but there is the feeling that they would be welcomed if they cared to run? - Yes. I was interested in your comment about getting women to see themselves, because we've visited with a number of women, and in order for us to visit with them at all, well, somebody has had to say to us what she's done that and so on, and that and so on, and that and so. And yet we will say to these women, "Well, what experience have you had in politics?" And immediate answers is "None." "Well, will you run?" "Well, no. I'm not qualified." And yet, when you get to talking to these women, you often discover that they have, for example, gone door to door collecting for United Fund, which surely is no worse than going door to door as a political candidate. Many of these women have been active in campaigns for men. They've not only done mailings, but they've gone collecting money on door to door for men, but they still do not see that they themselves could also be a candidate. - You've spoken several times of qualifications. Are there particular qualifications that are men legislators have, Cindy, do you think that the women lack? - Well, I'm not really sure what qualifications it takes to run for the state legislature, aside from being a resident and the obvious legal ones. I think, knowledge about politics. Well, I don't know what knowledge about politics really is, but there are certainly women in Lawrence who've had, as Ellen says, experience in other campaigns. I think, you know, really concern and interest, in, you know, the kind of knowledge you get from talking about politics, or even reading the newspapers. I mean, I'm really not sure what qualifications are. - Excuse me. - Well, you're a law student, Cindy, and I know a lot of people in the legislature are law students. Do you think that this is a necessity or very desirable, or, why is it there are so many lawyers get into the legislature? - That I really don't know. I think that's a national phenomenon. When you consider the number of lawyers who are in Congress, who are in administration, who are in, you know, government at all levels, they're pretty closely related enforcing the law, and making the law, and interpreting the law, are all sort of part of the same thing. Then perhaps, it's a much general interest, you know, as any other more specific thing. - Excuse me, but we have a call. I forgot to mention that we do except telephone calls. Our number is 864-4530. Good evening. - Yes. I was wondering- - Hello? - Hello? I was wondering what the minimum age requirement was to run for the Senate? I mean, for the House? - The minimum age requirement to run to the house? Did you hear the question? - Yes. - Mm-hmm. - And I have that. The only requirement is that you be a qualified voter, and a resident of a district represented, so that would mean 18. - Okay. Thank you very much. - Mm-hmm. Thank you for calling. Our number is 864-4530. Please feel free to call with any question, or for that matter, with any comment that you care to make. So, back to the question of qualifications. You've talked about law students and lawyers are running, but certainly, there's no requirement that everybody must be either a law student or a lawyer. Are there more law students now, however, more women law students than have been in the past? - It's gradually increasing in the last couple of years. And I think that, well this KU entering law school class will be about 10% women. I don't know, I may be really wrong on that figure, but that's approximately what it was this past year. I hope it will be more, I'm really not too sure about that. It's it's slowly increasing. - Mm-hmm. I certainly hope that it will be more than 10% because that's a rather standard percentage through the past a number of years. Now, with the passage of the Higher Education Act, of course, there will be more greater encouragement of women to apply for all kinds of professional school, since admissions cannot be discriminatory? - Yes, and I don't know. It distresses me to see that here in Lawrence, why a number of young men law students have filed for office, but no women law students have filed for office. I don't know whether the percentage of women law students is so small that, that doesn't mean anything or not. And yet, I still wonder if even our women law students are coming into law school, you know, tending to hold back rather than to step forward. - I think we all realize that it is a very difficult decision for any individual to make, just to say, yes, we will get into this political campaign, and hope to win. And then conserve for two years in the House, or four years as a state Senator. We keep reminding ourselves that the sessions are in Topeka. So, a man or a woman who lives in Lawrence could in fact, live at home and drive to Topeka when they're in session for about three months out of the year. A family couldn't live on the salary that a state representative makes, but with the allocations for expenses and salary, we've been told that it equals about $5,000 total for the year. So, there is a possibility, perhaps of taking a leave of absence from some jobs. But I don't think we want to imply that it's a very easy decision that all women we've talked to should say, yes, that's just what I need to do at this time in my life. But we are hopeful that many women are thinking about it. - Are there any other kinds of political positions that a woman might start with, that wouldn't seem quite, so difficult of accomplishment as election to the legislature? - Well, I suppose on the most local level, there's a Precinct Committee Women. I believe every precinct in every ward, elects one committee man and one committee woman. Am I right in this? - Yes. Correct. - In each party. - In each party. That entails like a very... Just the very most basic things of getting out the vote, encouraging people to go to the polls. Really grassroots type work. And I'm not sure what the titles are all the way up, but I know that there are other party positions as well as elected, and appointed ones that have just covered tremendous range of responsibility. Also amount of time that you would have to come in. - But this would be the most basic level, right, the precinct? - Yes. And I think one thing we learned within the last week or two, is that some people feel that the party has to ask you to file, or to run as a Precinct Committee Woman. In fact, any woman who is a Democrat... Or a registered Democrat or registered Republican, or who registers as a Democrat or Republican by tomorrow noon, can in fact, go to the courthouse and file as a Precinct Committee Woman for one party or the other. You don't need to check that out with any party official. In many contests, in many precincts, there is no contest there. At the most, there might be two or three women running for that position, so that's very accessible. - And is that done then in the primaries? The election held during the primary? - Yes. All the people who filed by tomorrow noon, will be listed on their party's ballot in the August primary. - And the committee, the Precinct Committee Women and committee men don't even require a filing fee, which is an added inducement. - In other words, all you have to do is what specifically? - Go to the Courthouse before noon tomorrow, and sign your name as a candidate for the committee woman of your precinct. - Can you find out who else is running, about your opposition would be? - Yes, you do. All you have to do is call the County clerk. He at least told me today over the phone who else has already filed in that precinct? He said, all you had to do is fill out a very simple form. It doesn't sound too awfully demanding. - Now, the County committee woman position does not sound too terribly important, but as a matter of fact, what happens is that these are the people who have elect your state committees. And, you know, year such as this year, where there's a good deal of discussion about whether we should go in the Democrat party, whether you should vote for, support Humphrey or McGovern why it's the precinct committee men and women who are electing the state committee, which will determine whether or not, the state is gonna be active from McGovern, active for Humphrey, or just what it's going to do. So, you have, here's another chance for an individual to make his one vote felt on a national level. - Also, last year within the Republican party, I think perhaps not everyone realized that it was this group of people, the precinct committee men and the committee women who met, and as the County central committee, elected our president Senator Arden Booth to fulfill, excuse me, or complete the term of Senator Schultz. - That sounds very much. I think it's a part then of the decision-making processes? Now you've talked about precinct committee men and committee women, and now a different position, the County? - No, these precinct committee men and committee women in each party, will meet in August, and will elect their own officers. - Mm-hmm. I see. So, the only thing really to run for there, is for the precinct committee position? - That's correct. - Right. Ella and anyone is eligible to do so, by merely going and filling out the proper form at The Courthouse. - And registering as a member of that particular party. - Mm-hmm. I see. Now, do the Women's Political Caucuses support or endorse a particular candidates? - We've had a lot of discussion about that. As far as we know, national has not said that we could not endorse a candidate. But we have just about decided. I believe we've decided that we will not endorse a candidate. The political caucus will not endorse a candidate, what will happen is that members of the political caucus, will work for candidates who interests them. One reason, of course, we may not... Well, we may end up not endorsing a candidate, is that we are encouraging both Republican women and Democratic women to file for office. - So, that I think it cannot be emphasized enough that the The Women's Political Caucuses are neither Democratic nor Republican, but open to both and both are welcome. But rather an effort to bring women, no matter what their political persuasion is, into a place and give them a voice in the in the political process. I'll remind you again, that our number is 864-4530, and that we would welcome your comments, or your questions from either men or women who who may be listening. Now, I understand that the Lawrence Women's Political Caucus has made some recommendations to further the basic purpose and goal of gaining a political voice for women. And I'd like to hear you talk just a little about some of these. The first one, several of you have already mentioned; to search out and support qualified women for appointment, and election to policy-making positions. And that, as I understand what you've been saying, has been the principle focus so far of the Women's Political Caucus? - Yes, of course, that project will of necessity end tomorrow at noon. And then, we will move on, to new considerations of the candidates and the issues at hand after the filing date has passed. - Is it one of your goals to find out if there are not too many or any women running for any of these positions in Lawrence? Will it make a difference to the Women's Political Caucus, what the stands are of the men who are running? - Yes. This is one of the things that we would like to do, is to ask various men candidates what their positions are, on some of the issues in which we're interested. - Could you... We have another call. Good evening. Good evening. Hello? Hello! I can't here you there. Hello? Would you come in, please? I'm afraid, we've lost that call. If the would call back at the UN4-4530, perhaps our equipment would work a bit better. Could you tell us some of the other kinds of recommendations that, or one or two recommendations that you would consider important that the Lawrence Women's Political Caucus feels would further the goal? - We made a Statement of Purpose earlier this spring, modeled somewhat on the national and state Statements of Purpose. Some of the issues about which we wrote, where the establishment of adequate non-compulsory childcare centers in local communities. Also- - Let's talk a little bit about that though rather than to do move on. Why is this important to getting women into the political process to have adequate non-compulsory childcare centers established in local communities? - I think traditionally, one of the... Well, it's obvious that traditionally, one of the functions of women has been to care for the children. And that in many cases, they had primary responsibility for care of the children in a marriage in order to sort of equalize that great time-consuming task, it seems that really educational, enriching childcare centers are almost a necessity for very many married women with young children who would like to get out of the house and do something. - Do we have any childcare centers in Lawrence now? - Yes, there are several, but there's long waiting lists at every center that I know of. - Mm-hmm. I understand that in the new center at Hilltop have begun this summer that there were three times the number of children. In fact, they're three times the number that they were able to accept who are are still on the waiting list. I see that our time is up. Since tomorrow is the deadline, you said at noon for filing for office. We should know very quickly now, who the people are, who are planning to, or hoping to represent the hole of the citizenry in various positions. And since we have, by no means completed our discussion of what these women's group is doing, next week we will invite all or some, to come back, and have at least one of the candidates for office come and raise some of the questions with them, with him, that, or hopefully with her, that we'll... That you're planning to ask of all political level candidates. Thank you very much for listening. We hope you'll join us again next week, at the same time, seven o'clock on Monday evening.