This week, Minnesota’s Office for the Economic Status of Women (OESW) will close. The GOP insisted on cutting its funding in recent state budget bills. For 41 years, this office has advised the MN legislature, providing information and statistics on women in Minnesota, including minorities and marginalized groups. Thank you, OESW, for the important work you have done in drawing attention to the economic lot of women in this state!

It is increasingly clear that the current GOP agenda is driven by men who care little for whether their policies disproportionately affect women. Today’s Politico reports that the White House is now considering eliminating the Council on Women and Girls - set up in 2009 under Obama to monitor the impact of policy changes and liaise with women's groups. For more on this, see here. 

Please consider calling your Mn representatives to ask that they find ways for the work of the OESW to be carried on. See this great article by Lori Sturdevant of the Star Tribune for more details on this.

As the OESW closes its doors, here is their latest report: “Minnesota Legislative Session Summary 2017 - New legislation affecting the economic status of women”. It is packed with information.