Topical File (1972-1994; 2.3 linear ft.) includes information on many of the issues and activities the Michigan NOW conference has been involved with throughout the years. This accession expands upon many of the coalitions present in the Margot Duley-Morrow subseries. However, two topics (Abortion and ERA) and one committee (PAC) dominate the materials in this series. The material on abortion and the People's Campaign for Choice (PCC), the coalition formed by Michigan NOW to lobby for the retention of tax-payer funding for abortions, is very extensive and highlights the amount of work involved in that tumultuous battle. Included among the materials are a large amount of clippings from Michigan press, legislative information including House Bills and Senate Journals highlighting the activity in the state capitol, medical studies and reports, financial studies and reports on the cost of Medicaid abortions versus raising a child on Medicaid, and materials collected from the opposition Right-To-Life Initiative. The material on the ERA focuses mainly on attempts to lobby government in order to secure an extension to ratify the amendment. Because the ERA had already been ratified in Michigan, much of the material is based on the national effort and contains information about how the Michigan conference could work to support other states working towards ratification. In addition to the topics of abortion and the ERA, the Political Action Committee (PAC) material makes up a large portion of this series. The Candidate Questionnaires, no longer seen as a valuable source of information about a candidate, provide an interesting look into the ideologies of past political candidates from House Representatives to Governor. Along with these records are endorsement lists, election results, and other miscellaneous material that detail the importance of political elections to activist organizations such as NOW.
