Want to Own a Curves in Edmond? One's for Sale

I have a friend who has been going to Curves for over a year now and loves it. Unfortunately, the woman who owns the southeast Edmond studio finished a college degree and is wanting to move into another field. The studio, equipment, everything is for sale. She thinks this might be a great opportunity for someone who would like to own a business without having to build it from scratch. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please have them call Belinda Stone at 405-301-7010. All those who love the studio would be most pleased to see it continue. If Belinda doesn't sell soon, the Curves will close May 28. Spread the word!

Do Oklahoman's Need More Financial Literacy Education?

The Oklahoma Center for Economic Education at UCO in Edmond serves as an advocate of economic and financial literacy with Oklahoma teachers and students. Maybe they should expand their audience to all Oklahomans!

According to a recent Oklahoman article, many of us don't understand the importance of saving for a rainy day. More than half the households in Oklahoma earning less than $24,800 have insufficient funds to survive a three month income drought. Okay, you say - they are living from month to month. Then what about the 20% of Oklahoma households with earnings in the $44,000 to $68,800 income level who also have not put enough in savings to get by without an income for a 3-month period? Seriously, this is a good argument for more financial literacy programs - not just for students but for their parents, too.

Kudos to OK Ethics, Shannon Warren and Tom Hill

The Oklahoman ran an op-ed recently by Shannon Warren, founder of the Oklahoma Business Ethics Consortium (aka OK Ethics)) entitled Honoring Ethical Businesses in State. This new organization has over 700 members and recently honored 3 businesses Express Employment Professionals, Kimray, Inc and Retirement Investment Advisors. They also honored  Kimray Chairman Tom Hill who also founded the Character First Institute for his strong ethical leadership in the Oklahoma business community. Well done all.

jenX67 on White House Forum on Workplace Flexibility

I'm spending a little time reading blogs today. Here is a good post from jenX67's blog are you there God? it's me, generation x entitled  White House hosts forum on workplace flexibility

Research Suggests 9 Ways "Going Green" Would Benefit Oklahoma

I follow a rather eclectic set of blogs via posterous.com including Futurity.org/.  Here is a really interesting recent Futurity post entitled A green South could save big bucks.   Research coming out of Duke and Georgia Tech suggest states in the south (like Oklahoma) could create jobs, save money, conserve water, reduce energy bills, etc. by following 9 recommended policies.  That hot old sun may be Oklahoma's salvation.

May 2010 Issue of Oklahoma Magazine Celebrates OK Women

The May issue of Oklahoma Magazine is out and Trisha Yearwood is on the cover. The May issue is always dedicated to notable Oklahoma women. This year honorees include Jo Rowan, Paula Marshall, Dr. Lam Le, Nancy Randolph Davis, Sandy Garrett, Ruth Addison, Allison Price, and The Shock (Tulsa's wonderful WNBA team)!  Also some businesswomen, some women's stores and Wine, Women and Shoes!   Check it all out at
http://www.okmag.com/currentissue/index.cfm?

Oklahoma Election Board Has New Website

Thank you, Mike McCarville, for mentioning on your blog that "the Oklahoma State Election Board recently launched a new website with a fresh new look and new address at http://elections.ok.gov." Check it out!

Event: Gov 2.0a - Technology Applied to Improve Government, May 6-7, OKC

Dang! If I didn't have a foundation management training session, the Oklahoma Women's Coalition May board meeting to chair and a daughter coming for the weekend, THIS (see below) is where I'd be. This is downright interesting stuff.

Cheap registration fees end TODAY though - so sign up now. 

WHAT:   Gov 2.0a - Technology applied to improve government
WHEN:   May 6th and 7th
WHERE: Cox Convention Center
FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://gov20a.com/        

Gov 2.0 stands for Government 2.0, the application of increased connectivity and new technologies to better help government achieve its goals by being transparent, participatory and collaborative. The benefits of this approach include increased efficiency, improved services, greater accessibility of public services, as well as more accountability.

The Gov 2.0a conference is focused on applications of technology to government problems. The conference will be a forum to learn about successful Gov 2.0 applications through case studies, to learn about best practices for Gov 2.0 applications, and to network with other professionals from city and state organizations, community groups, non-profits and the private sector who share interest in the application of technology to improve the functioning of our government.

Gov2.0a Keynote Dinner with incoming Oklahoma CIO Alex Pettit
Join us for dinner on 6pm, May 6th and hear presentations from Oklahoma State Representatives Ryan Keisel and Jason Murphey, and a Keynote presentation from Oklahoma's Chief Information Officer, Alex Pettit on the future role of technology in Oklahoma government.

Speakers
• Jari Askins, Lt. Governer, Oklahoma
• Laurel Ruma, O'Reilly Media
• Carolyn Purcell, Cisco Systems
• Kurt A Snodgrass, CEO, OneNet
• Joey Senat, Professor, OSU
• Mark Mitchell, OK.Gov
• Mike Koehler, Schnake Turnbo Frank | PR
• Scott Anderson, CIO, Spigit
• Zach Nash, Creative Director, City of OKC
• Matt Mueller, City Manager, Guthrie, OK
• Paul Monies, OPUBCO
• Stephen Nolen, CIO, Shawnee OK
• Craige L. Baird, Technology Services Director, Ponca City
• Ryan Keisel, Oklahoma State Representative
• Jason Murphey, Oklahoma State Representative
• Alex Pettit, CIO, Oklahoma
• Dustin Haisler, CIO Manor, Texas
• Jeff Blasius, CTO of SeeClickFix.com

Might We Have a US Supreme Court With No Protestants (and should we care)?

A Covenant Discipleship group consists of five to seven people who want to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ through mutual accountability and support. They meet once a week for one hour to pray and "watch over one another in love." The group writes its own covenant based on the General Rule of Discipleship. Their covenant guides their discipleship and serves as the agenda for the weekly meeting.

One line in my Covenant gives me particular trouble: "To attend to all the means of grace... by reading and meditating daily on the Scriptures and/or other spiritual resources." I confess, I fail to carve out time every single day to do this. So I try to force feed myself by subscribing to The Upper Room online and Martin Marty's "Sightings"  and several Daily Bible passages apps on my iPhone.

All that to say that I found the April 22  Sightings interesting and thought I'd share it. It is a bit long for a blog post but a quick read. You can read it at http://divinity.uchicago.edu/martycenter/publications/sightings/archive_2010/0422.shtml

Is Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger a rapist? Does Nike even care?

From The New York Times, April 22, 2010:

Is there anything creepier than a big, beer-breathed celebrity athlete exposing himself in a night club and hitting on underage girls, all the while protected by an entourage of off-duty cops? Well, yes. It’s the big, corporate sponsor — Nike, in this case — that continues trying to sell product with the creep as their role model.  Read more>>

Church Women United Support CEDAW

This is a resolution recently adopted by Church Women United - a national volunteer Christian ecumenical women’s movement initiated and carried out by women in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is a movement that brings together women of diverse races, cultures and traditions in closer Christian fellowship, prayer, advocacy, and action for peace with justice in the world. CWU engages millions of women representing twenty-six supporting denominations and participating Christian women.Their motto is “AGREED TO DIFFER, RESOLVED TO LOVE, UNITED TO SERVE.”

RESOLUTION: The Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
A Renewal of CWU Support for CEDAW:
The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

Approved by the National Board of Church Women United, April 8, 2010

Whereas, the 2008-2012 Quadrennial Priority for Church Women United is Building a World Fit for All God’s Children, with four components – health, environmental care, peace, and economic justice – each directly affecting the well-being of women;

Whereas, in 1981 the Executive Council of Church Women United made an early declaration of support by adopting the following resolution:

The Executive Council of CWU in the USA urges the President of the United States to transmit the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women to the US Senate for its advice and consent.

The Convention, we believe, has both symbolic and substantive value. Symbolically, it elevates women’s rights to the status of a global human rights issue and draws international attention to the issue of equal rights of women. Substantively, it sets up machinery for reviewing progress reports from governments. It provides the legal basis for promoting progress in one more area of human rights and thus complements the earlier conventions drafted at the United Nations;

Whereas, since 1979 when it was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has been described often as an international bill of rights for women and has been formally recognized by nearly every member nation in the United Nations, but not yet the United States;

Whereas, the six decades of social policies* of Church Women United are an eloquent argument for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, that Church Women United, an ecumenical movement that unites women of diverse races, cultures, and traditions in practices of fellowship, prayer, advocacy and actions for peace with justice, declares that thirty years is far too long for the United States to stand on the fringes of the global community with respect to CEDAW, and urges the Senate, in 2010, to undertake the process of CEDAW’s ratification; and

Resolved, that Church Women United under take new efforts to educate and mobilize women to contact their Senators in support of CEDAW.

* Supportive CWU statements and resolutions: Political Rights of Women (1962), Equal Pay for Equal Work (1962), Equal Rights Amendment (1970, 1975, 1977, 1983), Sex Values and Education (1969), Criminal Justice: Women in Prison (1988), Against Trafficking in Women and Girls (1999), Sisterhood: Affirming Our Dignity and Worth (2004), fourteen statements on human rights in UN Declarations, and twenty-six statements on racial/ethnic discrimination and poverty among women and children.

HB 2920 WIll Identify Ways to Improve the Health of Oklahoma Mothers and Infants

Looks like House Bill 2920 by Trebilcock and Jolley will make it out of the Oklahoma Legislature... It will create the Oklahoma Maternal-Infant Quality Care Collaborative to monitor and identify ways to improve health care for mothers and infants.

HB 2907 Passes; Let's Cities Offer Special Parking for Pregnant Women

Have I mentioned yet that HB 2907 by Oklahoma Representative Danny Morgan and Senator Susan Paddock passed as has been signed into law by Governor Brad Henry? This is the bill that gives municipalities the option of designating parking spots for expectant mothers. These will be indicated by signage designed by the Dept. of Public Safety. Expectant mothers can apply for placards to place in their vehicles.

That will be very nice and helpful thing -- for example -- for a woman who is 9-months pregnant trying to get from her car to a store when there is ice on the ground. See http://www.okstatewatch.com/htbin/web_ahis.com?OK52RHB02907

Celebrate Earth Day on AprilApril 22, - Earth Day -

Rachel Carson is the woman who changed how America - and eventually the world - thinks about our planet. Her writings had a huge impact on what came to be known as "the environmental movement." Learn more about Earth Day at  http://www.earthday.net/. Read Carson's ground breaking book Silent Spring. 

This Day in Women's History - Formation of Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues

On April 19, 1977, 15 women in the House of Representatives form the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues.

May 4-5, Norman: Oklahoma Human Trafficking Conference

Oklahoma Human Trafficking Conference

Wednesday, May 05, 2010 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

NCED Conference Center
(405) 447-9000
2801 East State Hwy 9
Norman, Oklahoma 73071
United States
Map and Directions

A Multidisciplinary Response to Labor and Sex Trafficking in Oklahoma

Human Trafficking in the United States

We have all heard about Human Trafficking in foreign countries, but few understand the reality that we face right here in America. Texas and Oklahoma are in the middle of this growing problem. Here in Oklahoma we are encountering cases all over the state with a variety of victims, the youngest of whom are mere children.

Victims of human trafficking are people forced or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Labor trafficking here in the US involves foreign nationals caught up in a variety of situations that encompass individuals in domestic service and farming, to larger scale operations such as sweatshops, construction, landscaping, restaurants and hotels, as well as major multinational corporations. The growing use of visa fraud to bring foreign nationals into the US legally and then exploit them through staffing agencies or a variety of corporate contracts, subjecting the workers to unsafe living conditions and sub-standard pay scales has the Department of Labor taking serious actions to expose the injustice.

For more info and to register o0nline, go to http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=839439

Florence Mubichi and Designated Lactation Rooms for New Moms

Portia Wu, Vice President of the National Partnership for Women and Families, sent me an email recently that began:

Can you believe it? Some employers think they can tell new moms who need to express milk to just use the bathroom!

We think not. And fortunately it’s a scenario that tens of thousands of new moms won’t have to face any longer.

The new health reform law includes an important provision that requires employers to provide covered workers reasonable break time to express milk for up to one year after a child’s birth. They must also provide "a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public."

It’s about time. Studies show that breast-feeding can help lead to healthy outcomes for women and children, and save billions in health costs. But until now, many women have had to stop breast-feeding — or never even start — because they couldn’t pump milk in their workplaces.

We have Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) for getting this provision into federal law. It is already the law in Oklahoma (although I don't know the degree to which Oklahoma companies comply).

As a matter of fact, I learned today that the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing is going to relocate their designated area for new mothers to a new room which will be decorated with artwork from Kenya and dedicate it to my dear friend, Florence Mubichi, who recently lost her battle with ovarian cancer. Here is their memorial to Florence who was on the OU College of Nursing faculty while she was working on her PhD.

Do You Know the Role Oklahoma Played in Winning Women's Right to Vote?

The National Women's History Project has announced the kick-off to a 10-year plan for the Woman Suffrage Centennial in 2020.

They will be working with The National Collaborative for Women's History Sites (NCWHS) to create a national clearinghouse for information on state-by-state Woman Suffrage celebrations leading up to the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution on August 26, 2020. Their goal is the creation of a nationwide Woman Suffrage Trail highlighting the role of each state in the 72-year national campaign that won the right to vote for women.

The National Women's History Project has achieved great progress in their first 30 years of Writing Women Back into History.  Now it is time for Oklahomans and others to start thinking about how we want to celebrate the Woman Suffrage Centennial in 2020! If you have any thoughts, leave a comment please!

Reflections on the Remarkable Legacy of Justice John Paul Stevens

Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-President of the National Women's Law Center has written a piece on Justice John Paul Stevens who is about to retire from the US Supreme Court. She reimnds us that when Justice Stevens joined the U.S. Supreme Court in 1975, women faced blatant discrimination in all walks of life:

• State statutes gave married men the right to control marital property.
• Some public universities excluded women as unfit.
• Women were eliminated from juries on the basis of gender.

Justice Stevens’ tenure on the Court spanned landmark decisions affecting many critical legal rights for women — including protections against sex discrimination and sexual harassment at work and at school, the constitutional right to privacy, the constitutional guarantee of equal protection under law, and important health and safety regulations. Justice Stevens played a crucial role in protecting and enforcing women’s legal rights in these cases.

Find out more about Justice Stevens’ profound impact on women’s legal rights during the past 35 years by reading her blog post on Huffington Post.

Greenberger concludes that there is no better way for President Obama to honor Justice Stevens’ legacy than by nominating an individual to take his place on the Supreme Court who is as committed as Justice Stevens to respecting the rule of law and its premise of equal justice for all.

National Council of Women's Organizations Addresses the Workforce Investment Act

Reforming the Workforce Investment Act to Help Women Gain Quality Jobs and Narrow the Wage Gap

Released Wednesday, April 7, 2010

As co-chairs of the Committee on Congressional Briefings of the National Council of Women's Organization's Domestic Priorities Task Force, the Institute for Women's Policy Research and the National Organization for Women are facilitating a series of Congressional Staff Briefings. This briefing, organized by the Institute for Women's Policy Research, addresses the Workforce Investment Act and its impact on women's earnings.

As Congress is preparing to discuss the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the National Council of Women's Organizations heard from four speakers about the need to address the gender wage gap among people who received WIA services; the need to provide good career counseling and supports, particularly for non-traditional jobs, to help women reach 'self-sufficiency' wages; proposals for an enhanced role of peer counselors or union learning representatives to give career advise to incumbent workers; and proposals for performance and accountability measures under WIA to focus attention on non-traditional occupations.

To view a summary of those remarks and to access background documents, click here.

To view the Machinist News Network's video report of the briefing event, click here.

For further information about the briefing, contact Ariane Hegewisch at hegewisch@iwpr.org.

Greg Mortenson's OU Talk Moved to April 21

Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, is visiting OU on April 21stat 4:00 pm @ the Lloyd Noble Center. This is a CHANGE OF DATE. The event is sponsored by the University of Oklahoma College of Engineering.

This event is FREE to the public but please register so they will know how to set-up Lloyd Noble Center. Go to http://www.eventbrite.com/event/448141403. And urge your youth group or school to join our Pennies for Peace-Oklahoma project and collect pennies for his schools, get to meet him and have reserved seats at Lloyd Noble Center. Contact mary.francis111@gmail.com
It's never too late!

Governor Signs Bill to Aid Pregnant Women

Legislation signed by Governor Brad Henry today would allow women to use handicapped parking spaces in the final months of pregnancy if a physician deems it necessary.
“The final trimester creates a significant physical challenge for many women, one that we ought to accommodate,” said state Rep. Danny Morgan, D-Prague. “Walking during the late stage of pregnancy is often difficult and painful. This new law will help expectant mothers preparing for the birth of their child.”
House Bill 2907, by Morgan and state Sen. Susan Paddack (D-Ada), would allow women to obtain a temporary placard from a physician that allows them to temporarily use handicap parking spaces.
Current law allows those placards to go to individuals who cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, people who require the use of a brace or a cane, those who have temporarily lost the use of one or more limbs (such as those with a broken leg), and those who are severely limited in their ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological or orthopedic condition.
“This is a welcome change to the law governing handicapped parking in Oklahoma, one which will make life a little easier and a little safer for women in the third trimester of pregnancy,” commented Sen. Susan Paddack, D-Ada. “It’s not often that we get the opportunity to really help some of our fellow Oklahomans without incurring any actual cost, but this is just such a bill, and we are delighted that Governor Henry has signed it into law.”
Morgan, the leader of the House Democratic Caucus, said the idea for the legislation came during the recent ice storms when he witnessed a pregnant woman having to cross an icy parking lot on foot.
“The consequences of a fall at such a late stage in a woman’s pregnancy could be very serious,” Morgan said. “If that woman had been allowed to use the handicap spot near the entrance, she would have been at much less risk of an injury.”
In both 2007 and 2008, the average monthly birth rate was around 4,500 births.
According to the Department of Public Safety Office of Driver Compliance, the number of handicap placards issued for the last fiscal year was almost 80,000 (including both five-year permits and six-month temporary permits).
“When you crunch the numbers, it’s pretty clear that granting pregnant women temporary placards will not create a parking shortage for individuals with permanent disabilities,” Morgan said. “In any given quarter, you would only have perhaps 1,100 more placards issued statewide on top of the 80,000 already issued.”
Morgan also noted that the new law would not mean all pregnant women would automatically be given a placard.
“Physicians will now have greater authority to issue temporary parking placards to pregnant women, but only when they believe she meets the physical disability definition of not being able to walk 200 feet without resting,” Morgan said.

Source. Oklahoma House of Representatives Media Division
April 12, 2010

Event, April 26, OKC: Breast Cancer Awareness Capitol Event

For the second time in as many years April 26, 2010 has been designated as “Breast Cancer Awareness Day at the Capitol”, and breast cancer survivors, their families and friends, or anyone interested in saving lives from the disease are welcome to attend. Twenty plus organizations from throughout the state will have displays to share information on the fourth floor rotunda. Artists and survivor authors of Oklahoma will also be present. The “Faces of Breast Cancer in Oklahoma” media presentation will play throughout the day as a tribute to those who have fought, continue to fight or have lost their battle to breast cancer in our state.
Taylor Treat, the current Miss Oklahoma will be present from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and Sherri Coale, coach of OU Women’s Basketball will be present from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Hours for the event are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A catered lunch is available for $5, but reservations must be made by April 20th. RSVP at breastimpressions@cox.net, or by calling 918-691-3874.

Oklahoma needs a vehicle to educate, screen and treat women and men for breast cancer - saving more lives. At this year’s event a program will be revealed that will help make this happen. Lawmakers will be asked to inform and encourage their constituents to support the program, making it a reality. We will then save more lives in all 77 counties of Oklahoma.

Chairs for this years event are: Senator Judy Eason McIntyre, Senator Debbe Leftwich and Representative Lee Denney, along with Judi Grove, Founder of Breast Impressions, Inc.

Call 918-691-3874 or 405-521-5598 for more information

How About Putting a Statue of Wilma Mankiller in Statuary Hall?

EVE (Equal Visibility Everywhere) is committed to bringing gender parity to our national symbols and statutes. Currently they are working on putting more statues of women in National Statuary Hall in the US Congress. There are 100 statues for National Statuary Hall and only nine of them are women.

They are proposing a statue of Chief Wilma Mankiller be placed in National Statuary Hall to represent Oklahoma. Currently Sequoyah and Will Rogers reside in the Hall. They recommend bringing Sequoyah home and having Wilma Mankiller can replace him in the Hall.The State of Ohio is currently replacing one of their statues; you can learn more about that project onYouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9tCNXZZqx4/.  You can learn more about EVE at their Facebook page: Put a woman in Statuary Hall. 

This Day in Women's History -Opening of National Museum of Women in the Arts

April 7, 1987 was the day of the official opening of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, the first museum devoted to women artist.

Remembering Wilma Mankiller

Former Cherokee Chief Wilma Mankiller died yesterday at the age of 64. She was a strong advocate for women's rights and Indian rights. Here are a couple of links that help tell the story of this remarkable woman.
Former Cherokee Chief Wilma Mankiller dies, Tulsa World, 4/6/10

Transcript of A Conversation with Wilma Mankiller, OETA. The video of this program will air Friday, April 9 at 9:00 pm on OETAs second channel OKLA.

Interview with Wilma Mankiller on Writing Out Loud.
Books by Wilma Mankiller.

(Thank you, Debbie Blank, League of Women Voters of Norman, for sharing this.)

Female Business Owners, Students to Shadow Legislators

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 6, 2010 – Oklahoma female lawmakers will host Oklahoma City women business owners and inner-city entrepreneurial students April 13 for “Take Your Constituent to Work Day” at the state Capitol.

“Take Your Constituent to Work Day” is part of the “I Educate and Empower Women” campaign, and a pilot project from the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW). The program is designed to teach and engage Oklahoma City businesswomen and high school students in public policy, and connect them with state legislators. Fifteen female lawmakers are participating in the project; each legislator will be matched with a business owner and student to form mentor teams, who together will shadow their legislator for a full day at the Capitol.

Rep. Leslie Osborn (R-Tuttle) is one of the 15 legislators participating in the program.

“This kind of opportunity to connect elected officials with our constituents is not only innovative on behalf of IEEW, but it’s filling a need,” Osborn said. “It is essential that all citizens know how important it is to be involved in their local governments to ensure that our democracy is running the way it should be.”

All members of the media are invited to attend a press conference on April 13 at 11 a.m. at the Capitol press room.

Terry Neese, founder and CEO of IEEW, says that getting the public involved in public policy has always been a passion. She says that the project is based on her business mantra.

“If you run a business and aren’t involved in politics, then politics will run your business,” Neese said. “We designed this program to help Oklahoma women and students understand this principle and apply it through engagement.”

The 15 participating students attend Advanced Science and Technology Education Charter (ASTEC) High School, Oklahoma’s first “start-up” charter school. The school curriculum focuses on integrating science and technology with the liberal arts and is currently developing a new entrepreneurial class to begin in fall 2010.

“One of the core values we try to instill in our students is the importance of responsible citizenship,” said Dr. Freda Deskin, founder and CEO of ASTEC. “We feel that it is vital our students have a chance to discover and participate in the evolving world around them. They are our future leaders.”

Source.Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (www.ieew.org.)

Event, April 9, 1:30, OKC: Timeline for Implementing Health Care Reform

Learn about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: The timeline for Implementation. Speakers include Mike Fogarty, CEO, Oklahoma Health Care Authority; Kim Holland, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner; and Gary Raskob, PhD., Dean, OU College of Public Health.

The healthcare bill has been signed into law, but what does it mean for you?
Join the Oklahoma Insurance Department, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health at the Symposium on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010*: The Timeline for Implementation from 1:30-3:30 on Friday, April 9 at the OU College of Public Health, 801 NE 13th, Room 150, to learn when the law will be implemented and how it will affect you. The symposium will provide a detailed discussion of the first two years of the new health law's implementation and an overview of the law’s timeline in the years beyond. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Jennie Kleese at 405-522-1769.

This Day in Women's History - Women Banned From Baseball

On April 2, 1931, 17-year-old Jackie Mitchell, the second woman to play baseball in the all-male minor leagues, pitches an exhibition game against NY Yankees and strikes out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The next day, the Baseball Commissioner voided her contract, claiming baseball was too strenuous for women. The ban was not overturned until 1992.

How Recent Federal Health Care Reform Gives Women Greater Control

Click on images of this White House fact sheet on the impact of the Affordable Care Act on women to enlarge and read: