Jane Lobman Katz, born in 1931 to
Jewish parents, waged a twenty-two year war against poor government in Alabama.
As the State Legislative Chairperson for the Alabama League of Women Voters,
Jane Katz fought for the support for education, equalization of property taxes
and stronger consumer protection laws. She supported election law reform and
campaign finance reform, and regulation for political action committees. She
fought for strong ethics laws and background investigation of child care
providers. Ms. Katz called for a convention to reform the Alabama State
Constitution through a constitution reform convention. According to then Chief
Justice Howell Heflin, Jane Katz was one of the "truly understanding
supporters for the adoption of judicial reform in the Judicial
Article."
Jane Lobman Katz was originator and publisher of the Capitol
Newsletter which tracked legislation of public interest. Her Voting
Record was the first publication to make known voting records of
legislators on issues that the League of Women Voters emphasized. She was the
force behind the efforts of the Alabama League of Women Voters to educate all
voters in the terms of better government of the state. Jane Katz was an ardent
supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment. She was a champion of equal
educational and employment opportunities for women. She believed that passage
of Equal Rights Amendment would add to the dignity of women and bring all
individuals to equality under the law.
A woman of vision and courage, Jane Lobman Katz earned respect as a
guardian of human rights and an incisive critic of government. Her ability to
make complex, controversial, sensitive political issues understandable to
average people, gave her a prominent place as a watchdog against poor
government in Alabama. Her untimely death in 1986, at age 55, left the state of
Alabama devoid of one of its most resourceful, knowledgeable and progressive
leaders.
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