BY KAREN BOSSICK
Ruth Bader Ginsburg graduated first in her class at Columbia Law School in 1959.
But not a single law firm in New York City would employ the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants because she carried two X chromosomes.
Her subsequent path to serving 25 years as Supreme Court Justice is told in the new documentary titled “RBG.”
And it will be shown at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, at Magic Lantern Cinemas in Ketchum as a film screening fundraiser to benefit the campaigns of three Idaho women running for office in the Idaho legislature.
Ticket proceeds will go to the election campaigns of incumbents Sen. Michelle Stennett and Rep. Sally Toone and to Muffy Davis, who is running for a seat in the Idaho State House of Representatives.
The CNN Films project features Ginsburg’s unlikely friendship with her ideological opposite--the late Antonin Scalia. It recounts the 85-year-old woman’s multiple arguments before the Supreme Court, championing women’s rights and equality. And it even has a little fun with her “Saturday Night Live”-endowed hipness.
Muffy Davis, who saw Ginsburg speak at a Stanford University event years ago, said she has been inspired by Ginsburg’s strength and her impact on society for years.
“If I had the opportunity to pick one person to have dinner with, I would choose Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” said Davis, who rolled into Hailey Tuesday night after speaking at the Idaho AFL-CIO’s 60th Annual Convention with Stennett and Toone. “She’s amazing She’s no taller than me, but she does pushups every day.
Davis added that it’s inspiring to see more women choose to run for office in 2018, a trend likely inspired by women like Ginsburg. Nationwide just over 25 percent of state legislators are women, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. In Idaho, it’s just over 30 percent.
Tickets for the screening are $20. A VIP reception that includes a ticket and reserved seating plus a reception from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Gail Severn Gallery, costs $150.
Tickets are available online at www.muffyforidaho.com, www.toone4rep.com and www.michellestennett.com. Any tickets that are left over will be sold at the door.
All three candidates plan to offer brief remarks at the reception and screening.