Hats off to the great state of Rhode Island.

This past week, Rhode Island passed a new law called the Lindsay Ann Burke Act which will require all public middle and high schools to teach students about dating violence in their health classes. The law requires that awareness and prevention are taught as part of the curriculum in grades 7-12.

Rhode Island is the first state to officially adopt such specific policy for young adults. Hopefully, this will set the example that other states will follow.

Estimates are that fully 33% of teenage girls will be victim to some sort of domestic violence during a dating relationship. In fact, women aged 18-24 experience the highest per capita rate of intimate partner violence.

Women of this country must unite to stop the cycle of domestic violence. The New Agenda counts reducing domestic violence among our most important goals. Domestic Violence, like so many other issues that women face, impacts ALL women, be they Democrat, Republican, Green Party, Libertarian, or none of the above.

Lindsay Burke, pictured above, was murdered by her boyfriend in 2005 after an abusive relationship.