Office of the Chair SKECUTIVE COMMITTEE Mara Zapata, PD. Chaipencn Stamkewerioren 1st Vee raepeion wana deren 2h Vex Cratpesen Norse ANarez Member atlare Leah Buren PRD. Mercer tage CCommassioN meMBERS loa Atkins ae Soezete Ei erica iran Noreen Lagat ends Francesc Menes every Non Eveine Pere raRatery Unta Robeson Raia Seqera Phys San Spins Mae Watson ona Zee PAST CHAIRPERSONS. Mele Dura Lucking £53 (Grace M ODomet ‘camen Ela Leveneon an Sargier Fosa Necexa Mara Robes Magal Abad Marte Babia ‘a Moga Gullo KayM Suan ray Shea Lymn Leight Cary de Lem Yorne Euro Karen Kely Jamis Sabet Dace Luse Caryn Futerg Nera Lighie shania Greene Deroy Yates Maree Coby ‘Ame Wison alle ean Hon, Eire Beem Lea Nera, Program Ofcer Board of County Commissioners Office of Community Advocacy ‘Commission for Women 111. NW Ist Street + Suite 1034 Miami, Florida 33128-1994 T 305-375-4967 F 305-375-5715 www miamidade.goviedvocacy/women-board-home asp April 8, 2015 Honorable Chairwoman and Members ‘Miami-Dade County Legislative Delegation Dear Chairwoman Flores and Members of the Miami-Dade County Legislative Delegation: As you address the important issues facing the residents of Florida in the current legislative session, the Miami-Dade County Commission for Women would like to take this opportunity to express our position on several pending bills of particular importance to Florida's women and girls. Some bills have the potential to benefit women and girls tremendously, but others will have an adverse impact. These are the bills the Commission for Women supports and urges you to enact: State Minimum Wage, HB 47/SB 114 This bill would raise the Florida minimum wage to $10.10, The Commission for Women strongly supports this bill because nearly two-thirds of all minimum wage workers are women. The typical minimum wage worker is not a teenager flipping burgers at a summer job, but a woman working in a low-paying industry trying to support her family. Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour would benefit more than one million Florida workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Florida has the second largest number of people making the minimum wage after Texas, mostly because of the large number of workers in hotels, restaurants and other service industries. A $10.10 per hour wage would reduce the number of workers on government assistance programs and bring stability to working families State Minimum Wage, HB 589/SB 1318 This bill would make it a third degree felony to knowingly procure labor from a person with an intent to defraud or deceive such person. Helen Gordon Davis Fair Pay Protection Act, HB 25/SB 98 This bill would help raise awareness of the gender wage gap through data collection and the dissemination of information about women’s rights in the workplace. It would create the Governor's Recognition Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace to recognize employers that have strived to eliminate the barriers to equal pay for equal work. The bill uses the carrot, not the stick, approach to ensure that working women are empowered with knowledge and to recognize businesses that are doing the right thing.Board of County Commissioners Office of Community Advocacy Commission for Women ILL NW Ist Street + Suite 1034 Miami, Florida 33128-1994 T 305-375-4967 F 305-375-5715 ‘www miamidade.gov/advocacy/women-board-home.asp Office of the Chair Florida Civil Rights Act/Pregnancy Discrimination, HB 625/SB 982 This bill would amend the Florida Civil Rights Act to make clear that pregnancy discrimination is prohibited in employment, licensing, public accommodations, etc. It is self-evident that this bill should be approved swiftly to eradicate any such vestiges of discrimination against women, Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) ratification bills, HCR 8001/SCR 88 ‘These concurrent resolutions would put Florida on record in support of the ERA to the U.S. Constitution. ‘These resolutions have received bipartisan support in the past with both Republican and Democratic co- sponsors. Congress has the authority to lift the ERA ratification deadline so that should not be a concern. Florida should be at the forefront of the renewed path to ratification and full equality for men and women under the federal Constitution. Florida Competitive Workforce Act, HB 33/SB 156 This bill would include sexual orientation and gender identity as impermissible grounds for discrimination in the workplace and public accommodations. The Commission for Women believes that any law that protects against discrimination is good for women and that all people should be judged on their talents and capacity to do the job. Domestic Violence HB 443/SB 804 This bill would provide for enhanced criminal penalties for a third or subsequent violation of an injunction for protection against domestic violence. Florida Kidcare Program, SB 294/HB 829 This bill would remove the 5-year ban on the ability of legal U.S. resident children from accessing the benefits of the Florida KidCare program. Twenty-six states now waive this five-year waiting period and Florida should follow suit by passing this bill. The health and well-being of Florida’s children should be of paramount concer. We commend our own Senators Rene Garcia and Anitere Flores for their passionate pursuit ofthis issue and their compassion for Florida’s children. Various Guardianship Bills, SB 318, SB 366/HB 5, SB 360, and SB 1226/HB 1225 These various bills are a comprehensive attempt to better regulate professional guardians and protect wards from any fraud or abuse. Many of the people who would benefit from these protections are elderly women who are more likely to be widowed or alone and who may be placed under guardianship. The bills would provide commonsense protections to prevent the exploitation of the ward and her assets, and we commend the sponsors of these bills for their thoughtfully crafted measures.Board of County Commissioners Office of Community Advocacy ‘Commission for Women ILL NW Ist Street » Suite 1034 Miami, Florida 33128-1994 T 305-375-4967 F 305-375-5715 www miamidade.gov/advocacy/women-board-home.asp Office of the Chair Below are bills the Commission for Women opposes and urges you to oppose: Various abortion restriction bills, HB 633/SB 724, HB 147/SB 920, and HB 247/SB 1502 These bills are basically designed to make it more difficult for a woman to terminate a pregnancy, and in some cases would outright ban abortion, which is a perfectly legal medical procedure in the United States. This Legislature professes to be in favor of less government interference yet, year after year, it deems it necessary to intrude when it comes to women’s health issues, personal decisions, and relationships with their doctors. ‘The motivation behind these bills is not to improve ‘women’s health but to create obstacles for women seeking lawful abortions. By passing these bills, the Legislature is doing nothing more that substituting its judgment for that of medical professionals. Single Sex Public Fa ies, HB 583/SB 1464 This bill disproportionately targets the transgender community and was filed simply in retaliation for passage of Miami-Dade County’s anti-discrimination provision this past December. The Commission for Women thanks you for taking the time to review our concerns and suggestions. We know that it is not easy to enact legislation that will impact millions of people in a state as diverse as Florida. ‘Your work on our behalf is appreciated and we wish you a successful session. Thank you for your kind consideration of this matter. Sincerely, Mara Zapata, Ph. D. Chairwoman Miami-Dade County Commission for Women