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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 28, 1981)
Senators fight women’s financial inequality By CHARLENE BELL Of the Emerald Oregon’s two U S. senators are backing legislation intended to correct existing laws that perpetuate economic inequities for women. On April 7, Sen. Bob Pack wood and Mark Hatfield, both R-Ore., joined Sen. Dave Du renberger, R-Minn., in introduc ing the Economic Equity Act of 1981, a wide-ranging "econ omic package" proposing economic reforms that include: fl" • Under private pension plans, marriage would be recognized as an economic partnership, and pensions would be established as a legi timate property right. • Women who were married to civil service or military em ployees for at least 10 years would receive the right to a pro rata share of the benefits earned during marriage • The national policy stating that "discrimination on the ba sis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin is unlawful,” would be applied to the insur ance industry by expanding tho availability and scope of insur ance available to women. • The Internal Revenue Code would be modified to allow daycare services as a tax-free fringe benefit for employees. • Homemakers would be come eligible for Individual Retirement Accounts. Current ly, individuals without incomes cannot establish IRAs. • Tax credits would be given to employers who hire displaced homemakers. Each of the bill’s three prin cipal sponsors has agreed to focus attention on certain areas of economic reform. “Senator Packwood will focus his attention on the dis placed homemakers' provision, by making homemakers eligible for Individual Retirement Ac counts,” says Janet Mullins, Packwood’s legislative director. “The senator recognizes the plight of these divorced or widowed women who have devoted many years to main taining a home and family and Do you care about our economy? I J Philip M. Klutznick 1981 Occupant, Wayne Morse Chair of Law and Politics The American Economy: An Assessment Public address. I ucsdax. April 28, 1: 10-5:00 p.m.. Gcrlinger Alumni Lounge Reception follow ing address. 5: 00-6:00 p.m.. 1 -acuity Club. l (.) campus Public Reception Sunday. Max L d:00 p.m.. Wayne Morse Ranch. Hugene I he Wax lie Morse Historical Park Association, Host International Trade: Problems and Prospects Public address. Wednesday, Max 6. 1:80-5:00 p.m., ! he Dad’s Room. Hrh Memorial l hnon, l 'O campus Reception following address. 5:00-6:00 p.m.. Faculty Club. UO campus A prominent Chicago attorney and hiismessnian. Philip M. Klutznick has devoted much of Ills life to public service. He has served in various important federal posts under seven presidents, including most recently that of Secretary of Commerce under President Carter. On an international plane, Mr. Klutznick has served as a member of several United States delegations to the United Nations, first in I 957 during President Eisenhower s administration, and second as Depots Ambassador during the tenure of Governor Adl.u Stevenson as Ambassador to the United Nations m 1 961. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON encounter difficulties when they find themselves alone, trying to receive benefits or in getting a job,” Mullins says. Recent statistics indicate that although 89 percent of single parent families are headed by mothers, three-quarters of these women receive no child support. And only four percent of divorced women receive alimony, Mullins says. Packwood also plans to lend his suppport to the daycare provision, she adds. Jennifer Doren, a staff member of the Senate Appro priations Committee, an ticipates that some of the provi sions in the act will be passed during the first session of Con gress. Hatfield chairs that com mittee. However, Doren expects op position from the insurance in dustry. The proposed insurance provision would abolish existing discrimination that has given women an inequitable per centage of insurance ben efits in comparison with the amount of premiums they pay, she says. ‘‘Senator Hatfield recognizes the fact that for many years it has been tough for women to get disability or health insur ance because the waiting per iods were always longer than for a man," Doren says. Hatfield also plans to focus his attention on the military wives provision, which ad dresses the problem of disparity existing in military pension ben efits for women and men. ‘‘Many military wives are left penniless after a divorce, while a husband can walk away with a pension or an annuity,” Doren says. “During a military mar riage, if the wife is not in the armed forces, she is frequently unable to work outside the home due to constant moving and caring for the kids.” Eliminating disparity in mili tary pensions and other econ omic inequities for women is long overdue, says University Women’s Studies director Gail Dubrow. ii umy hi uit? ids>i live yeciio that the Supreme Court has argued in favor of an enlisted woman receiving the same ben efits as her male counterpart,” Dubrow says. And the proposed daycare provision is badly needed, she says. “Presently this benefit isn't widely available since men oc cupy the majority of the big-bu siness positions that can afford to offer such a service." Women work primarily in the small business sector, which has no incentive to provide daycare, Dubrow explains. However, the daycare pro gram may benefit women workers disproportionately if the provision is offered as a tax reform, Dubrow says. Lower in come families or those with a woman as single parent won't be provided with much of a break, she says
