Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, will soon join an influential lineup at the 50th Anniversary of Women in Public Life Symposium hosted by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. As detailed in a recent announcement Oklahoma Senate, the event, scheduled for November 14, is set to feature keynotes and discussions from female lawmakers who are shaping the landscape of policy in the United States.
The symposium, celebrating half a century of female political engagement, will welcome luminaries such as former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota. According to the Oklahoma Senate's press release, the gathering intends to address crucial issues, including political representation for women, paid family medical leave, and contraceptive access. By the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, the organizer's road was paved with intentions to spark bipartisan collaboration for the betterment of policy affecting all Americans.
During the event, Dossett is slated to speak about the bipartisan effort leading to the recent passage of Senate Bill 176—an initiative aimed at broadening access to extended supplies of contraceptive pills in Oklahoma. "I’m humbled to share the story of SB 176, especially in the presence of so many women who have worked from both sides of the aisle to improve the status of women in public life," Dossett explained. Her discussion, titled "Contraception Crossroads: Building Bipartisan Bridges," is expected to highlight the collective efforts that made the bill a reality, according to the Oklahoma Senate.
Marking a historic moment, the symposium commemorates the inaugural Women in Public Life Conference, convened by the late first lady Lady Bird Johnson in 1975, which at the University of Texas brought together 2,000 worldwide attendees. The symposium organizers honor this legacy with a theme of "A Bipartisan Path Forward," hoping to encourage participants to bring home a spirit of collaborative statesmanship.
