PRESS RELEASE
October, 11 1996

41 STATES HOLD "DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY" ACTIVITIES TO HIGHLIGHT IMPACT OF PRESIDENT CLINTON’S ANTI-DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAWS

The Clinton/Gore campaign today announced that it will celebrate "Domestic Violence Awareness Day" on October 12, 1996. On this day, advocates, 24-hour hotline beneficiaries, grant recipients under the Violence Against Women Act and COPS program, business leaders, union leaders, and political leaders will participate in press activities in 41 states highlighting the remarkable accomplishments this Administration has made in domestic violence prevention.

The President has officially proclaimed October "National Domestic Violence Awareness Month." Across the nation, local organizations are holding conferences, vigils, and other events to increase awareness and build unity around this disturbing issue. Millions of women and children throughout our nation are plagued by the terror of family violence each year, and approximately 20 percent of all hospital emergency room visits by women result from such violence. As many as three million children witness violence in their homes each year. It is only by stopping violence at home that we will ultimately end violence in the streets.

"By holding press activities nationwide on October 12, the campaign hopes to underscore the Administration’s commitment to -- and turn a national spotlight on -- efforts to end domestic violence," said Clinton/Gore Campaign Manager Peter S. Knight.

The President has an unprecedented record on combating domestic violence:

President Clinton signed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) into law, which is providing $156 million to strengthen the criminal justice system’s response to crimes of violence against women. President Clinton created a 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-SAFE, which has already provided immediate crisis intervention, counseling and referrals for over 42,000 women.

The Administration allocated $46 million under the Community Oriented Policing program (COPS) to help law enforcement counter domestic violence. The President created the Violence Against Women Office in the Department of Justice to lead a national effort to combine tough new federal laws with help for states and localities. The President fought for and signed legislation that would expand the Brady law to prohibit those convicted of any offense involving domestic violence -- misdemeanor or felony -- from owning or possessing a firearm.

Senator Dole has not displayed this same commitment during his 35 year congressional career. He voted against President Clinton’s 1994 Crime Bill which contained the Violence Against Women Act and funding for more local police to fight domestic violence. He also voted against the Brady Bill which makes it harder for domestic abusers to buy handguns.

In 1980, Bob Dole voted against the Domestic Violence Prevention and Services Act -- which established a $65 million grant program for state, local and private efforts to prevent domestic violence and provide emergency shelter to battered women. At the time, Dole said, "the federal government has no business getting into the treatment of domestic ills of this nature..." (Congressional Record 8/26/80).

Events will be held throughout the month, with most occuring October 11-14. Some of the events and participants include a roundtable at a women’s shelter in Nevada with Christopher Dodd, who is a Senator from Connecticut and chairman of the Democratic National Committee; an American College of Emergency Physicians conference in California; and a roundtable discussion on domestic violence with Gloria Steinem and other domestic violence prevention activists in Massachusetts.

# # # Clinton/Gore ‘96 State By State Domestic Violence Events 10/11 - 4:15pm

Some events are still in formation. ALABAMA: Contact: Peggy Roberts 334-262-6887
Date: Friday 10/11
Theme: Clinton Administrations State Grants to end violence against women
Activity: Press Conference in Birmingham
Surrogates: Michelle McAlpine, Director of Project SAFE LaVeeda Morgan Battle, attorney for survivors of spousal abuse Connie Hill, Director of the Family Violence Center

ALASKA: Contact: Gail Gatton 907-274-6673
Date: Tuesday 10/15 -- Juneau
Activity: Press Conference
Surrogates: Lt. Governor Fran Ulmer
Deputy Attorney General Laurie Otto

ARIZONA: Contact: Lisa Mac Spadden 602-253-9600
Date: Monday 10/14
Activity: Press Conference
Surrogate: Women for Clinton/Gore
Governor of the Hila River Tribe, Mary Thomas
State Senator Kathy Forster
State Senator Mary Hartley
State Representative Carmen Cajero
State Representative Rebecca Rios
Marion Murray (Republican Woman)
Berry Sweet (Republican Woman)
Robin Everding (Republican Woman)

ARKANSAS: Contact: Steve Harrelson 501-374-2500
Date: Saturday 10/12
Activity: Meeting Roundtable on Domestic Violence
Surrogate: Winston Bryant, Congressional candidate

CALIFORNIA: Contact: Neera Tanden 213-951-1996
Date: Monday 10/14
Theme: Violence prevention strategies -- Surrogates to highlight Clinton Record
Activity: American College of Emergency Physicians conference in Los Angles
Surrogates: Dr. Bedard, chairman, President’s Advisory Task Force on Violence Against Women
Alana Bowman, Special Assistant L.A. City Attorney, Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit
Dr. Patricia Salber, author, Physicians’s Guide to Domestic Violence and Founder and President of Physicians for a Violence-free Society
Esta Soler, Founder and Executive Director of the Family Violence Prevention Fund
Gail Abareanel, Director of the Rape Treatment Center at Santa Monica Hospital
Date: Monday 10/14
Activity: Op-eds and Press Interviews
Surrogates: Conference speakers and other domestic violence spokes people

CONNECTICUT: Contact: Patty McQueen 860-525-1996
Date: Friday 10/11
Theme: Domestic Violence
Activity: Domestic Violence Vigil
Surrogates: Anna Maria Garcia, Executive Director YWCA

DELAWARE: Contact: Peter Woolfolk 302-998-6041
Date: Monday 10/14
Activity: Radio Interviews
Surrogate: State Senator Patricia Belvins

FLORIDA: Contact: Jo Miglino in Tallahassee 904-222-9094 Contact: Blanca Messa in Miami 305-876-0033
Date: Thursday 10/10
Activity: Speech at Domestic Violence Conference in Jacksonville Release, Op-eds and Letters to the Editor
Surrogates: Governor Lawton Chiles

GEORGIA: Contact: Caroline Adelman Aronovitch 404-872-2516
Date: Monday 10/14
Theme: Program that trains officers to be sensitive to domestic violence.
Activity: Press Conference in Macon
Surrogates: Police Officer - program trainer
Domestic Violence survivor
Date: Monday 10/14
Activity: Op-eds
Surrogates: Domestic Violence advocates Cobb and Cherokee County

HAWAII: Contact: Allicyn Hikida 808-593-9577

Date: Friday 10/11
Activity: Collecting signatures for Open letter to Press outside YWCA
Surrogates: Clinton/Gore supporters

IDAHO: Contact: Rachel A. Joseph 208-385-9696
Date: Saturday 10/12
Activity: Press on Attorney General Endorsement

INDIANA: Contact: Jeff Fites 317-955-1846
Date: Monday 10/14
Activity: Press Conference outside Statehouse in Indianapolis
Surrogates: Attorney General Pam Carter

IOWA: Contact: Julie Stauch 515-244-9696
Date: Saturday 10/12
Activity: Press Availability
Surrogates: Attorney General Tom Miller
Activity: Op-eds
Surrogates: Domestic Violence service providers
Jane France, Victim Witness coordinator, and Former President of Iowa Coalition of Victim Assistance
Sue Prochaska, Tri-State Shelter
Susan Jelling

KANSAS: Contact: Joe Wagner 913-354-4696
Date: Friday 10/11
Activity: News Availability in Lawrence
Surrogates: Gail Elliot, Survivor of Domestic Violence

LOUISIANA: Contact: Bill Bryan 504-267-5290
Date: Wednesday 10/9
Activity: Silent Witness Project on Courthouse steps in Shreveport
Surrogate: President’s Domestic Violence proclamation read to crowd
Date: Wednesday 10/16
Activity: Take Back the Night Candlelight March in Baton Rouge

MAINE: Contact: Deborah Cook 207-774-1396
Date: Thursday 10/31
Activity: Press Event
Surrogates: Joe Brennen, Senate Candidate

MARYLAND: Contact: Jess Sarmiento 410-662-4470
Date: Friday 10/11
Theme: Domestic Violence
Activity: Maryland Network against domestic violence luncheon
Surrogates: Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend Attorney General Joe Curran

MASSACHUSETTS: Contact: Doug Hattaway 617-227-0496
Date: Friday 10/11
Theme: Domestic Violence
Activity: Roundtable discussion
Surrogates: Gloria Steinem
Claire Dalton, Domestic Violence Institute, Northeastern University Law Center
Shannon O’Brien, Clinton/Gore Women’s Committee
Debra Robbin, Casa Myrna Vasquez
Beth Boland, Domestic violence attorney
Denise Cortese, Domestic violence survivor

MICHIGAN: Contact: Craig Sutherland 313-965-3933
Date: Saturday 10/12
Activity: Rally in Lansing on Courthouse steps
Surrogates: Representatives of Council on Domestic Assault

MINNESOTA: Contact: Peter Hamm 612-642-9600
Date: Monday 10/14
Activity: Press Conference in Minneapolis
Surrogates: Senator Paul Wellstone Sheila Wellstone

MISSISSIPPI: Contact: Glen Rushing 601-960-0796
Date: Friday 10/11
Activity: Press Availability in Jackson
Surrogate: Representatives of Mississippi Women in Action

MISSOURI: Contact: Nina Thompson in Kansas City 816-363-0096 Contact: Rachel Fayman in St. Louis 314-647-0880
Date: Saturday 10/12
Activity: Press Conference in Kansas City
Surrogate: State Prosecutor Clair McCaskill

MONTANA: Contact: Jay Strell 406-442-5600
Date: Monday 10/14
Activity: Press Conference in Butte
Surrogate: Butte County Sheriff John McPherson Butte County Attorney General Bob McCarthy Domestic Violence Advocate Marilyn Manney

NEVADA: Contact: Angelina Ornelas 702-822-1211
Date: Saturday 10/12
Activity: Roundtable at Women's Shelter
Surrogate: Senator Chris Dodd Mayor Jan Jones State Assembly Woman Katherine Brown State Assemblywoman Jean Orenshall (Also run Rape Crisis Center) Sandy Durdin, Police Officer working on Domestic Violence Unit

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Contact: Jennifer Miller 603-626-6696
Date: Sunday 10/13
Activity: Press Event outside Concord District Courthouse
Surrogates: Jeanne Shaheen, Gubernatorial candidate Bill Hart, Rockingham County Commissioner Lincoln Soldati, Stratford County Commissioner

NEW JERSEY: Contact: Jo Astrid-Glading 908-296-8848
Date: Friday 10/11
Activity: Roundtable in Newark
Surrogates: Representative Torricelli Mayor Cardell Cooper, East Orange Domestic violence service provider Domestic violence survivor

NEW MEXICO: Contact: Anne Uhring 505-262-9600
Date: Saturday 10/12
Activity: Rally and March in Vallencia County on Domestic Violence
Surrogate: Antoinette SeDillo-Lopez, Clinton/Gore state director

NEW YORK: Contact: Max Smith 212-253-9456
Date: Friday 10/11
Activity: Women’s Voter Rally in NYC
Surrogates: Members of the 1199 Labor Union Representative Nita Lowey Governor Ann Richards

NORTH CAROLINA: Contact: Hal Kwalwasser 919-508-1996
Date: Friday 10/11
Activity: Domestic Violence Roundtable at Governmental Plaza in Greensboro
Surrogates: Survivors, advocates, Greensboro Police, and public officials
Mayor Carolyn Allen
Mayor pro tem Don Vaughan

OKLAHOMA: Contact: Elissa Dozona 405-524-9996
Date: Tuesday 10/15
Activity 1: Press Event in Tulsa
Surrogate: Mayor Susan Savage Domestic Violence Advocates
Activity 2: Press Release/Op-eds in Oklahoma City

PENNSYLVANIA: Contact: Adrienne Schwartz in Pittsburgh 412-434-7456 Contact: Tricia Enright in Philadelphia 215-985-4096
Date: Friday 10/11
Theme: Women for Clinton/Gore and focus on Domestic Violence
Activity 1: Press Conference at Capitol in Harrisburg
Surrogates: State Treasurer Catherine Baker Knoll
Date: Friday 10/11
Theme: Women for Clinton/Gore and focus on Domestic Violence
Activity: Press Conference outside Bucks County Courthouse
Surrogates: County Commissioner Sandra Miller and Claudia Post
Date: Friday 10/11
Theme: Women’s event and focus on Domestic Violence
Activity: Press Event in Pittsburgh
Principal: Mrs. Gore
Date: Friday 10/11
Theme: Pennsylvania Women for Clinton/Gore
Activity: Press Conference at Schneider, Harrison, Segal & Lewis in Philadelphia
Surrogate: Sherry Swirsky, Member of the National Steering Committee
Augusta Clark, Majority Whip, Philadelphia City Council
Kathy Manderino, State Representative
Alba Martine, Executive Director, Congress de Latinos Unidos

RHODE ISLAND: Contact: Cindy Gire 401-273-9396
Date: TBD -- tentatively 10/23
Activity: Women’s Event -- Dedication of Roger Williams Memorial Park in Providence
Surrogates: Representatives of the Coalition on Domestic Violence
Congressman Patrick Kennedy

SOUTH CAROLINA: Contact: Mary Nicholson 803-256-4004
Date: Monday 10/14
Theme: Domestic Violence with Women’s Rollout
Activity: Press Event in Rock Hill
Surrogate: Donna DeWitt, state AFL-CIO President
State legislative leaders

SOUTH DAKOTA: Contact: Debbie Hoffman 605-373-9600Date: Wednesday 10/9
Activity: Press Conference in Rapid City
Surrogate: Female Labor Representatives

TENNESSEE: Contact: Patrick Willard 615-320-3889
Date: Saturday 10/12
Activity: Speech at Rally in Chattanooga
Surrogate: State Senator Annabel Clement O’Brien
Date: Saturday 10/12
Activity: Press Event in Nashville
Surrogate: Attorney General

TEXAS: Contact: Margaret Justus 512-469-6096Date: Saturday 10/12
Theme: Endorsement/Domestic Violence
Activity: Press Release, Op-eds, and Letters to the Editor
Surrogate: Dan Morales, Attorney General

UTAH: Contact: Nelson Reyneri 801-322-1996
Date: Saturday 10/12
Activity: YWCA Rally
Surrogate: Former Congresswoman Karen Shepard

VIRGINIA: Contact: Tyler Beardsly 804-649-1996Date: Tuesday 10/15
Activity: Press Event at Market Square in Old Towne Alexandria
Surrogate: Sara Brady, President, Handgun Control Inc.
Senator Charles Robb (tentative)
Congressman Jim Moran
Domestic Violence Advocates
Date: Tuesday 10/15
Activity: Press Event in Richmond outside Capitol
Surrogates: State Senators
Toddy Puller, State Delegate
Mark Warner, Senate Candidate (tentative)

WASHINGTON: Contact: Joe Cerrell 206-287-1996
Date: Sunday 10/13
Activity: Press Interviews, Radio
Surrogate: Attorney General Christine Gregoire

WEST VIRGINIA: Contact: Dan Israel 304-347-8681Date: Thursday 10/10
Activity: Silent Witness Program/Vigil
Op-eds and Letters to the Editor
Surrogate: Darrell McGraw, Attorney General

WISCONSIN: Contact: Jim Cullinan 608-257-1996
Date: Saturday 10/12
Activity: Press Availability in Madison
Surrogate: Attorney General, Jim Doyle
Representatives from:
A Rape Crisis Center
The Statewide Coalition Against Domestic Violence