Binghamton, N.Y. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced the bipartisan Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission Act (S.3073) at the Roberson Museum and Science Center. This legislation would establish a Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission in honor of the 100th anniversary of the passage and ratification of 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guaranteed women the right to vote. The Commission would work with federal, state and local governments, private organizations, as well as Congress to develop and coordinate educational activities for Americans to learn about the suffrage movement. Under this legislation, the Commission would provide grants that support organizations in the Southern Tier and across the country commemorating the anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
“This legislation would help educate and inspire young people around the country about the unparalleled importance of the women’s suffrage movement in American history” said Senator Gillibrand. “The women’s suffrage movement was born in New York, and nearly a century after the 19th Amendment was passed and ratified, our state continues to be at the forefront of fighting for women’s rights, from paid family leave to equal pay for equal work. The 19th Amendment changed the world for the better, and it deserves our commemoration. I will urge all of my colleagues in the Senate to support the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission Act.”
“I am very pleased to know that efforts are underway to recognize this historic anniversary,” said Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, Chair of the New York State Legislative Women’s Caucus and member of the NYS Women’s Suffrage 100th Anniversary Commission. “Next year we’ll be celebrating the 100th anniversary of suffrage in NYS. The federal bill co-sponsored by Senator Gillibrand will help groups across the state and nation continue that celebration as we near the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s passage.”
“Our mission at the Roberson is to present exhibitions and educational programs that illuminate local stories of national and international significance,” said Andrea Decker, Director of Education and Visitor Services at the Roberson Museum and Science Center. “This legislation would provide grants to organizations like the Roberson so they can showcase the long history of the Women Suffrages Movement and the eventual passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment.”
The State of New York was the birthplace of the women’s suffrage movement and it hosts some of the most legendary landmarks that helped shape this monumental gain in America’s history. New York was a powerful force in the movement for equal rights for women and the passage and ratification of the Nineteenth amendment. This bill provides the opportunity for New York to be recognized as an instrumental part in the struggle for women’s suffrage by providing grant funding for programs and activities that commemorate the efforts of the movement and the role of New Yorkers who promoted the core values of our democracy.
Senator Gillibrand is joined by U.S. Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Susan Collins (R-ME), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) on the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission Act.