VCC Magazine Winter 2020

V irginia C apitol C onnections , W inter 2020 26 Pass The Equal Rights Amendment from page 24 slavery. Even white women were chattel property. It will be a wonderful contrast to her past and a true victory for inclusion if Virginia can become the 38th and last state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. More recent proponents of the ERA have organized a “10 Days of ERA Bus Tour;” an outdoor dramatization of the Virginia State Flag, complete with arrest for indecent exposure; and a travelling ice cream truck, with free ice cream for all. Now that the Democrats have flipped the General Assembly, winning two more seats in the Senate and six more in the House, there is real hope that the ERA will pass. The ghosts of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, and Bella Abzug must be celebrating somewhere. Recent longtime activists share optimism: Candace Graham, who, with Eileen Davis and Leslie Rubio, founded the organization, Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Services Organizations: The LegislativeVoice For Virginia’s Veterans And Their Families By Col. Frank G. Wickersham III, USMC (Ret.) As the members of our General Assembly, and their aides, prepare for the 2020 Session, they can count on being contacted by members of the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, better known as the “JLC,” to learn about this year’s legislative initiatives to support Virginia veterans, National Guardsmen, and their families. Created by a Virginia statute in 2003, the JLC is comprised of representatives of 25 Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) from throughout the Commonwealth. Members are appointed by the Governor to serve three-year terms. These VSOs represent over 250,000 members, but consider themselves representatives of all the over 715,000 veterans who call Virginia home. As the JLC represents such a broad spectrum of VSOs and their members, we can speak with a unique and coordinated voice on veterans issues. Over the years, the JLC has been most effective when proposing initiatives or budget items as we work closely with the General Assembly to carefully consider and research current laws and programs while respecting budgetary constraints. Proposing legislation and budget items is just one part of our mission; the JLC also exists to provide advice and assistance to the Governor, General Assembly, and Department of Veterans Services (DVS) on a broad array of matters that concern our veteran and military community. The JLC serves as a conduit of information to and from the members of our VSOs on policy, pending and enacted legislation and existing state services. This fall, I was honored to be elected to a second term as Chair of the JLC. As are most of my fellow Council members, I am a veteran. I served as a Marine Corps officer and, after retirement, in the defense industry. The VSO that I represent is the Virginia Council of Chapters of the Military Officers Association of America (VCOC-MOAA). Our Vice Chair, Bill Ashton, a Navy veteran, represents the Fleet Reserve Association, and our Legislative Chair, David Sitler is a veteran of the US Army Reserves, and represents the Reserve Officers Association. We work closely and value our relationship with the DVS, the Board of Veterans Services (BVS), theVeterans Services Foundation (VSF), the Governor, our Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, and members of the Senate and House of Delegates. It is because of this close cooperation and teamwork that the JLC and our legislative proposals have been so well received and adopted during the Council’s 16-year existence. For the 2020 Session, we have prepared and will present six initiatives for consideration by the Governor and General Assembly. The topics of these initiatives range from standardizing personal property tax exemptions for disabled veterans to the counting of military absentee ballots to authorizing special pay to Virginia National Guard (VNG) members for emergency response duty to offering tax credits to employers who hire members of the VNG and Armed Forces Reserves. Legislators and their aides can look forward to our visits when our JLC members “storm the hill” on January 15. This year, Virginia was named the “Best State for Veterans” by wallethub.com . My fellow JLC members are proud that our efforts over the past 16 years has helped contribute to this national recognition. Our unique partnership with the General Assembly and Governor has contributed to pro-veteran legislation and budget items. Working with the Governor, the General Assembly, the Secretary, and DVS, we will continue to assure that Virginia remains the #1 state for veterans in America. For more information on the JLC, including a list of our member VSOs and their representatives, please visit www.dvs.virginia.gov/ dvs/joint-leadership-council-veterans-service-organizations Colonel Frank Wickersham III, USMC (Ret.), serves as Chair of the Joint Leadership Council of Veteran Services Organizations (JLC). He is a resident of Fauquier County. Women Matter Use Your Power, said, “I fully expect the ERA to be ratified in Virginia, with bipartisan support.” “The ERA WILL pass in Virginia this year, eventually putting women in the US Constitution, finally providing equality to over half the population of the Country,” said Leslie Rubio. Kati Hornung of theVirginia Ratify ERA Campaign, said, “When women pull together and push, things get done.” In a recent press conference, Speaker-designate of the Virginia House of Delegates, Eileen Filler-Corn, said, “It will pass.” Senator Jennifer McClellan, chief patron of the ERA, said at an Equality Breakfast December 14, 2019, “It’s going to pass.” As for me, I’m in my 70s and have been protesting since the 60s. I want to be equal under the law before I am cold under the ground. Frances Broaddus-Crutchfield is a professional writer and long- time activist in Virginia. B ERNIE H ENDERSON President Emeritus Funeral Celebrant Phone: (804) 840-8586 Bernard.L.Henderson@gmail.com V V