Latest news with #ElizabethRowray
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Where are all the women?
From left: Reps. Michelle Davis and Elizabeth Rowray laugh in the House chamber on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) A woman's place is in the House and the Senate (as lauded political science scholar Barbara Burell famously quipped). And though this year ushered a record number (13!) of female governors across the country, women remain chronically underrepresented in elected office. While the number of women elected typically increases slightly in most election cycles, the success of female candidates at the state level was not mirrored in the federal races. 2024 marked a decline in the number of women serving in Congress, compared to the previous session. Debbie Walsh, director for the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University stated it plainly: '2024 is clearly a stasis year.' For women in state legislatures, institutions often cited as a stepping stone for prospective future office, the year was anything but stagnant. This year, across the country 2,467 women are representing constitutions in 99 legislative chambers (all states except Nebraska have bicameral legislatures). This was a 2% increase from the previous year and another record-number for female representation. Three states–Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico–already achieved gender-parity in their institutions, meaning women's representation reflects its proportion of the general population and now actually have more women than men in their legislatures. CONTACT US While these national trends are encouraging, Indiana seems to be behind. Only two women (Representative Erin Houchin and Representative Victoria Spartz) serve in our 11-person Congressional delegation; two women (Comptroller Elise Nieshalla and Secretary of Education Katie Jenner) serve in statewide executive office, both as gubernatorial appointees. Our state legislature ranks 36th in the country for female representation, stagnant with women representing just 26.7% of the IGA, the exact same number as 2023. It is not for lack of effort. The state Democrats and Republicans sponsor their own recruitment and training programs, Hoosier Women Forward and the Lugar Series, which invest in prospective female candidates. Nonprofit and nonpartisan groups provide programing to motivate new women leaders, including national organizations She Should Run, Running Start, and locally, the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana's Inspire Her summit. Their success is laudable, yet Indiana remains at the bottom of most lists for representation. Where are all the women? Indiana is not short on talent or void in interest. We have great female leaders in every industry, often several in each serving as the president or in the CEO role. Our state has a legacy of great female leadership in public office but women are simply underrepresented compared to their male counterparts. Moms in the Statehouse: Hoosier women share how motherhood informs their legislative work Research suggests that women undervalue their qualifications as prospective candidates relative to men, who are more likely to compare themselves to actual candidates while women make comparisons to the ideal candidate. The economic impact of women running for office, specifically for those who are breadwinners for their household, has a direct negative relationship with their political ambition. This is exacerbated if the woman is a mother. Studies conducted by Jennifer Lawless and Richard Fox consistently show that women are less likely than men to consider running for public office (35% to 48%). There is hope, however, on the horizon. David E. Campbell and Christina Wolbrecht studied the impact of female politicians in their new book See Jane Run: How Women Politicians Matter for Young People and found that the presence of women in elected office has a positive effect on both young girls and boys, regardless of partisanship. Professional pipelines, long credited with bolstering female representation, remain a viable solution for identifying and encouraging prospective candidates. Institutional mechanisms, such as multi-member districts and ranked-choice voting, can promote more gender diversity but those systems are limited in both their scope and application. When women run, they win. We all benefit when we have the best candidates on the ballot and our democracy benefits when we have competitive elections with more of them. 2025 is a non-election year for statewide and Congressional races so now is the time to reconvene and recruit; next year, it is time to run. When thoughtful, qualified women run for public office in Indiana, we all win. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Our View: Castration bill leaves too many questions
At first blush, it sounds barbaric. An Indiana House bill authored by state Rep. Elizabeth Rowray, R-Yorktown, would sanction castration of child sex offenders. But if you dig into the details of the legislation, it sounds like it might be — maybe, possibly — an idea worth considering. House Bill 1455 would enable a sex offender whose victim was under the age of 14 to petition a court for chemical castration to avoid prison time. The consenting offender would instead be eligible for parole, probation or community corrections. Chemical castration is the use of medications to block testosterone production, decreasing sex drive. It's a much less invasive process than surgical castration, the removal of both testicles or ovaries. Surgical castration is irreversible. Chemical castration decreases sex drive only as long as medication continues. Under the Indiana bill, an offender who stopped taking chemical castration medication would face a felony charge. In an article published Feb. 1 in The Herald Bulletin, Rowray explained the rationale behind her bill. 'Every time I read about an adult ... sexually abusing children, I feel like we have repeat offenders,' she said. 'It's a vicious cycle. A lot of people don't want to tolerate that.' While some criminal offenders can be rehabilitated, studies show that sexual predators can't be rehabilitated, according to Rowray. 'There is the opportunity for them to re-offend and not get caught,' she noted. 'There should be an extra level of protection for children.' A 2004 study of child molester recidivism documented new charges against child molesters released from prison. The study found charges for new offenses in 13% of cases after five years, 18% after 10 years and 23% after 15 years. The rate of re-offending, however, is likely much higher, given that most sex crimes are never reported. Research related to child sex offender rehabilitation provides hope that some treatment and therapy programs can reduce the rate of recidivism but provides few clear answers. Rowray's bill isn't without precedent. Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin all have chemical castration laws. Louisiana is the only state where a judge can order surgical castration of an offender. 'Chemical castration or testosterone-lowering medications are effective for certain types of sexual offending,' Dr. Renee Sorrentino, a forensic psychiatrist and founder of the Institute of Sexual Wellness, told Newsweek for an article published in June 2024. Sorrentino emphasized that chemical castration isn't a 'silver bullet.' 'Mandated chemical castration for sexual offenders should be viewed like other forms of mandated treatment. The decision should be rooted in scientific evidence that such treatment will decrease sex offender recidivism,' she said. Rowray's House Bill 1455 was referred to the House Committee on Court and Criminal Code, where it languishes. At this point in the General Assembly session, it's unlikely to reach the House floor for a vote. That's good, because the idea of court-sanctioned chemical castration demands more study to inform decisions with the latest research and to view the proposed legislation from all angles.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill would allow child molesters to opt for castration
Jan. 31—ANDERSON — Concerned about repeat child molestation offenders, Rep. Elizabeth Rowray has introduced legislation to allow chemical castration. Her bill would enable a sex offender whose victim was under the age of 14 to petition a court for chemical castration to avoid prison time. The consenting offender would instead be eligible for parole, probation or community corrections. kAm%96 =68:D=2E:@? AC@G:56D E92E 2? @776?56C H9@ DE@AD E2:42= 42DEC2E:@? >65:42E:@? 4@F=5 36 492C865 H:E9 2 76=@?J]k^Am kAm%96 @776?56C 28C66:?8 E@ 496>:42= 42DEC2E:@? H@F=5 A2J 7@C E96 5CF8D] x7 2 4@FCE 56E6C>:?6D 2 A6CD@? 42?'E A2J E96 4@DE[ :E H@F=5 36 A2:5 3J E96 x?5:2?2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@CC64E:@?]k^Am kAm}@ 962C:?8 52E6 7@C E96 3:== 92D 366? D6E :? E96 w@FD6 r@>>:EE66 @? r@FCED 2?5 rC:>:?2= r@56]k^Am kAm"tG6CJ E:>6 x C625 23@FE 2? 25F=E ]]] D6IF2==J 23FD:?8 49:=5C6?[ x 766= =: E@ C6\@776?5 2?5 ?@E 86E 42F89E[" #@HC2J D2:5] "%96C6 D9@F=5 36 2? 6IEC2 =6G6= @7 AC@E64E:@? 7@C 49:=5C6?]"k^Am kAm|25:D@? r@F?EJ !C@D64FE@C #@5?6J rF>>:?8D DFAA@CED E96 :562 @7 496>:42= 42DEC2E:@? 2D 2? @AE:@?]k^Am kAm"x7 E96J C62=:K6 E96J 92G6 2 AC@3=6> E92E 42?'E 36 4@?EC@==65[" 96 D2:5[ ">2 2D 2? @AE:@?]"k^Am kAm%6? DE2E6D — r2=:7@C?:2[ %6I2D[ u=@C:52[ p=232>2[ |:DD:DD:AA:[ x@H2[ (:D4@?D:?[ |@?E2?2[ ~C68@? 2?5 ~2 — 92G6 =2HD E92E 2==@H 7@C 496>:42= 42DEC2E:@? 7@C D6I @776?56CD H9@ @AE 7@C E96 EC62E>6?E]k^Am kAm{@F:D:2?2 :D E96 @?=J DE2E6 E92E 2==@HD 7@C 2 ;F586 E@ @C56C A9JD:42= 42DEC2E:@? @7 2? @776?56C]k^Am Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.
