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