ERA CAMPAIGN NEWSTo receive ERA news by e-mail, Click here to email your request your request to subscribe to The ERA Campaigner, the free e-mail newsletter of the ERA Campaign Network. (Your name and state of residence are requested, but not required.) NEWS BULLETINS FROM THE ERA CAMPAIGN NETWORK April 7, 2008
CONGRESS ACTING TO HONOR ALICE PAUL, author of Equal Rights Amendment
California Rep. Joe Baca is chief sponsor of a House of Representatives bill of special interest to ERA supporters: HR406. Its purpose is to award a posthumous Congressional Gold Star to the great Alice Paul, who was enormously instrumental in achieving women's suffrage in 1920, and who then authored and worked tirelessly for the ERA for the rest of her life. This bill has 287 cosponsors as of this writing, and will be moved out of committee and onto the floor of the House when it reaches 290 cosponsors. This bill well deserves the support of every ERA supporter on its merits -- and also because its passage would bring favorable attention to the ERA cause.
April 2, 2008: PROGRESS IN THE NOT-YET RATIFIED STATES, THE "3-STATE" STRATEGY:
With only three additional state ratifications of the Equal Rights Amendment needed to achieve the required 38 (three-fourths of the 50 states), there is recent promising progress toward ratification in FOUR of the not-yet-ratified states:
ILLINOIS: The ERA ratification bill, HJRCA0002, was recently passed by the Illinois House Judiciary Committee, by a commanding 8-3 vote. It is now on the floor of the House and awaiting a vote: Prospects look promising for passage! If and when it passes, the bill (HJRCA0002), will go to the Senate, where it will be assigned to a committee. ERA activists in Illinois are working hard to ensure passage in the House, and to build support in the Senate. To help, contact Emily Battin, e-mail emily1@consolidated.net, telephone 217-229-3754.
FLORIDA: On April 1 (2008), Sandy J. Oestreich, head of the Florida Equal Rights Alliance, reported that she and other ERA enthusiasts (plus one anti-equal rights adherent) spoke at the ERA ratification hearings held by the Florida Legislature Senate Judiciary Committee. The good news: a resounding 8-3 vote for ERA ratification. The next step will probably be either to assign the bill to another committee for consideration, or to release it directly to the floor of the Senate. Meanwhile, substantial progress is being made in lining up more co-sponsors and supporters of the ratification bill among members of the Florida House and Senate, which, as of this writing, continues in session in Tallahassee. For up-to-date developments and tips as to how to help, visit www.ratifyflorida.net or contact Sandy Oestreich, e-mail SandyJOestreich@cs.com, telephone 727-393-0932.
ARKANSAS: This state came very close to ratifying the ERA in 2007. Arkansas ERA, headed by Berta Seitz, is meeting with each new legislative candidate to give them information on the ERA, answer their questions, and ask them for a commitment of support. They have asked for, and received, enthusiastic support for ERA ratification by the Chair of the Arkansas Democratic Party. They also plan to meet with Arkansas Governor Beebe and the speakers of the house and senate, to seek their support as well. To help, contact Berta Seitz, e-mail berta.seitz@att.net, telephone 479-442-6256.
MISSOURI: About thirty women and men wearing ERA pins were in Missouri's Capitol on March 11 (2008), talking with the state senate sponsor of the ERA, and lobbying to increase support for the ERA ratification bill, now in committee. Their actions brought fine local press and TV coverage, all of which of course is helpful to the cause. While the ERA ratification bill is not expected to have sufficient votes to pass in the current legislature, vigorous efforts continue, through Missouri ERA's Political Action Committee, to elect additional pro-ERA legislators this fall. Missouri residents who would like to help can contact Missouri ERA's Mary Mosley, e-mail mmosley@tranquility.net, telephone 573-642-6354.
NOTE: If and when the first of the above four states successfully ratifies the ERA, it will undoubtedly add substantial energy to ratification drives in the other three. It will also serve to energize ERA activism in the remaining not-yet ratified states: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia.
CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE 3-STATE STRATEGY:
New Jersey Rep. Rob Andrew's H.Res.757 proposes a congressional resolution, "Requiring the House of Representatives to take any legislative action necessary to verify the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment as part of the Constitution when the legislatures of an additional three States ratify the Equal Rights Amendment." The bill now has 5 co-sponsors: Rick Boucher (VA), Steve Cohen (TN), Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX), Carolyn Maloney (NY), and Linda Sanchez (CA). To help, ERA supporters can contact their representatives and urge them to co-sponsor the bill.
UPDATE ON THE "START-OVER" STRATEGY IN CONGRESS:
This strategy starts the amending process over, rather than relying on the 3-state strategy being able to overcome possible legal challenges by forces opposing equal rights for women.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chief House sponsor of the ERA (which she renamed the Women's Equality Amendment), H.J.Res.40, in the House of Representatives, has gathered 202 co-sponsors thus far. When she reintroduced the ERA at a rousing jam-packed meeting on Capitol Hill on March 27, 2007, the head of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. John Conyers, pledged to initiate hearings on the ERA as soon as possible: Such hearings would be the first step preceding a Judiciary Committee vote that, if successful, would result in the resolution going to the floor of the House for a vote. Unfortunately, however, due to many other issues the committee has had to deal with, the long-awaited ERA hearings have been repeatedly postponed. It is not yet known whether ERA hearings will be scheduled before the current 110th Congress steps down at the end of this year (2008).
What you can do to help: Go to http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HJ00040:@@@P for a list of the names and congressional districts of the 202 members of the House who are now cosponsors of H.J.Res.40. If your representative is a cosponsor, contact her/him with your thanks. If she/he is NOT a co-sponsor, contact and ask her/him to become a cosponsor in order to support full constitutionally-guaranteed equal rights that at least half of their constituents, women, are now denied. Make it clear that you plan to vote in November, and that you consider her/his co-sponsorship an important factor in whom you decide to vote for!
IN THE SENATE:
Sen. Edward Kennedy is chief sponsor of the equivalent ERA resolution in the SENATE, S.J. Res. 10, which currently has 24 cosponsors. To help: As with the House representatives, contact your senators who are current cosponsors of S.J.Res.10, and thank them for their support, on behalf of all their female constituents. If they are NOT cosponsors, urge them to sign on. (Go to http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SJ00010:@@@P for the list.)
If either of your senators is up for re-election in November, you can, similarly, make it clear that her/his co-sponsorship will be important in your voting decision.
IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PROCESS:
ERA supporters surely want to have our next US president support and encourage adding the ERA to our Constitution. While the president has no formal constitutional role to play in amending the Constitution (she/he does not "sign" it nor have the power to veto it), she or he can of course play a major role in supporting and encouraging both ERA passage by Congress and ratification by the states.
Supporters of the ERA cause surely consider support for the ERA a significant factor in their choice of whom to vote for. Since all three remaining candidates as of this writing are current members of the US Senate, it should be noted that Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are co-sponsors of the Equal Rights Amendment Senate Resolution (S.J.Res.10); Sen. John McCain is not.
The presidential nominees will also be instrumental in determining whether the ERA is endorsed in their official party platforms that will be formally adopted at the nominating conventions this summer. Note: national platform committees are usually made up of one representative from each state. How you can help: Contact your party's state committee to obtain the name and contact information of their representative, and contact and urge her/him to ensure that equal rights for women, including strong and explicit support for the ERA, is included in the party's platform. There is no excuse for a major political party NOT to support fully equal rights for all citizens without regard to whether they are male or female—and achievement of the ERA deserves, and will require, the support of both Democrats and Republicans. August 4, 2007: Update on action in not-yet-ratified states Advances in human rights have never been easy to achieve, and completing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment is no exception. All too often, success or failure comes down to the actions of just one or two legislators at critical moments. Here's what's happening now: State legislatures are now in summer recess, and some of them will meet only briefly in the fall. Earlier this year, however, two states - Arkansas and Louisiana - came much closer to ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment than they ever had before. Meanwhile, Florida ERA activists continue their very vigorous campaigning, and there is also active campaigning in Illinois, Missouri, and Arizona. Details follow. ARKANSAS: In spite very strong efforts by ERA Arkansas, state units of BPW, AAUW, League of Women Voters, NOW, the Arkansas Education Association, all the Arkansas constitutional officers from governor and lieutenant governor on down, and many members of the Arkansas legislature, ERA ratification was blocked by a February 7, 2007 tie vote in the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee. The tie vote was attributed to last-minute vote switches by legislators all too vulnerable to ancient but still utilized scare tactics of groups that, for their own reasons, continue to oppose equal rights for female citizens. Since the Arkansas legislature meets only on alternate years, the next opportunity will be in 2009. To help make the ERA happen in Arkansas in 2009, contact Berta Seitz of ERA Arkansas, e-mail Berta.Seitz@att.net, telephone 479-442-6256. LOUISIANA: As reported by Sandra Hufstetler of the Louisiana ERA Coalition: 'HCR4, relevant to ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, failed to pass out of the [Louisiana House] committee hearing on May 15, 2007, by a 4-5 vote - just two votes short." "Following the viewing of a public service announcement produced by Louisiana Business and Professional Women that featured a woman veteran requesting equal consideration under the law by the country she so ably served, Representative Monica Walker, author of the resolution, introduced the background of the Equal Rights Amendment since its passage by Congress in 1972. Roberta Madden, Co-coordinator of the Louisiana Coalition for the Equal Rights Amendment, spoke of the need for true recognition of women citizens as full partners in our nation and for providing strict scrutiny in sex discrimination cases. Dr. Anne Taylor, Louisiana President for the American Association of University Women, discussed the 14th and 19th Amendments and what the ERA is not; and pointed out that men, too, would benefit from the ERA. Opponents from a coalition including Louisiana Right-to-Life, Family Forum, and other "conservative" organizations showed up in a large group to testify against the bill. The question was called. The vote of the committee members was four FOR but five against.' "In spite of our disappointment with the results, we have learned a lot about what concerns need to be addressed. We also learned that our opposition is well organized and that they can guarantee a good turnout for the committee meeting. We will need to be equally organized if we are to bring the legislation before the House again." To help, contact the Louisiana Coalition for the Equal Rights Amendment: Sandra Hufstetler, e-mail sphufstetler@i-55.com, tel. 985-345-3001, or Roberta Madden, e-mail robertamadden@yahoo.com, tel.225-315-0303 (day) or 225-344-3630 (evening). FLORIDA: In Florida's legislative session that ended in May (2007) progress was made with the ERA ratification bills led by chief Senate sponsor Sen. G\wen Margolis and chief House sponsor Rep. Joyce Cusack. Florida Equal Rights Alliance head Sandy Oestreich reports that while strong campagining and support helped bring about a "good shot at getting it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee", it was never placed on the agenda because the House Speaker Marco Rubio had declined to refer the bill to any house committee. Florida ERA campaigners have already launched bold new strategies in preparation for the next Florida legislative session. To contact Sandy Oestreich, e-mail SandyJOestreich@cs.com, or telephone her at 727-393-0932 or 727-8904-3052; website www.RatifyERAflorida.net. ILLINOIS: Rep. Lou Lang reintroduced the ERA bill (HJRCA0002) in the Illinois House and it was read in full on January 19 and assigned to the Rules Committee, that has not yet taken action. The legislature is currently recessed for the summer. To help, contact Emily Battin, e-mail emily1@consolidated.net, telephone 217-229-3754. MISSOURI: ERA ratification bills were filed in both the House (chief sponsor Rep. Mike Talboy) and the Senate (chief sponsor Joan Bray), in the Missouri legislative session that ended in May (2007). The Senate held a hearing, but the bill did not get out of committee; there was no hearing in the House. ERA ratification efforts continue. To help, contact: Shirley Breeze, Chair, Missouri Women's Network: e-mail sbreeze@amindspring.com, telephone 314-831-5359. ARIZONA: Arizona's ERA ratification bill was reintroduced, but was not referred to a committee. Plans are to try again next year. To help, contact: Kathie Kelly, e-mail ERACampaignAZ@aol.com, telephone 602-690-1038. August 3, 2007: Update on the ERA in Congress “Start-over” ERA resolutions were reintroduced in Congress on March 27, 2007, H.J.Res.40 by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (in the House) and S.J.Res.10 by Sen. Edward Kennedy (in the Senate). It was announced that House hearings on the ERA will be held – the first to take place in many years. As of this date, however, the hearings have not yet been scheduled. (The “start-over” ERA resolutions, if and when passed by two-thirds of both Houses of Congress, will require ratification by a full 38 states, without regard to whether a state had previously ratified the Amendment as passed by Congress in 1972.) H.J.Res.40 has 202 cosponsors thus far; S.J.Res.10 has 24 cosponsors. Rep. Robert Andrews, chief sponsor of the 3-state strategy ERA resolution in the House – the resolution in support of the 3-state strategy to achieve the ERA -- is currently gathering initial co-sponsors and has not yet reintroduced it. You can HELP these resolutions progress toward passage by urging your congressional Representative and Senators to support them. To find out whether they are already among the cosponsors, go to http://thomas.loc.gov, type the bill number (e.g., H.Res.40), in the "search bill text" box, check "Bill Number" (not "Word/Phrase"), and then click "search." Then click on "Bill Summary & Status," then "Cosponsors." That will bring you to an alphabetized list of the cosponsors of that bill. April 13, 2007: ERA newly on the move! A significant boost to pro-ERA efforts burst on the scene at the National Council of Women’s Organization’s Women’s Equality Summit and Congressional Action Day, in Washington DC: The Summit, on March 26, drew some 400 participants: leaders of NCWO’s over 210 member organizations, plus many members of the very active NCWO Younger Women’s Task Force. ERA activists in attendance, including your editor, were greatly cheered that so many of the day’s dynamic speakers -- women’s movement leaders and members of Congress – spoke strongly and optimistically of the importance of achieving the addition of the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution. A breakout roundtable session, “The ERA and Younger Women: An Interactive Dialogue,” attracted so many younger women and ERA veterans that the session had to be moved to a larger room – which still required window-sill and floor seating. The very constructive discussion, and the resulting coming together across generational lines, demonstrate that the ERA cause is beginning to resonate for young feminist women in a way that had recently seemed somewhat elusive. The Congressional Action Day, March 27, was on Capitol Hill, with fiery addresses by numerous members of the bipartisan Congressional Women’s Caucuses of the House and Senate including Senators Barbara Boxer and Hillary Clinton, with the pressing need the ERA prominent among the many vital issues discussed. The day culminated in a press conference at which the reintroduction in Congress of the “start-over” ERA resolutions were announced before an enthusiastic crowd. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, to audience cheers, reintroduced her resolution, H.J.Res.40, with 193 initial cosponsors. Then she, along with the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. John Conyers, and the chair of its subcommittee on the Constitution, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, announced, to more cheers, that for the first time in decades, House hearings will be held on the ERA. Sen. Edward Kennedy was tied up with a key Senate vote and could not attend the press conference, but his Senate “start-over” ERA resolution, S.J.Res.10, with 23 initial cosponsors, was also reintroduced. To see if your congressional representatives are cosponsors of the bills, go to http://thomas.loc.gov and search for the bill by number -- “H.J.Res.40” or “S.J.Res.10”, then click on “Bill Summary and Status,” and then on “cosponsors.” If they are cosponsors, a “thank-you” from constituents such as you will reinforce their commitment. If they are not yet cosponsors, you can help the ERA cause by contacting them and urging them to cosponsor. NOTE: Rep. Robert Andrews, chief sponsor of the “3-state strategy” ERA resolution, is currently signing up Representatives to be initial cosponsors, and plans to reintroduce it soon. Since the Summit, there has been far more – and far more well-informed, accurate, and therefore helpful -- media coverage for the ERA than its proponents have been accustomed to seeing in recent years: The Washington Post, on March 28, had a good article on the congressional reintroductions of the ERA. This was followed by good releases by the Associated Press and other news syndicates, and articles in major newspapers all over the country, from Boston to Georgia, from Connecticut to Los Angeles, from Washington State to New Jersey, and more, plus fine coverage on popular websites such as WomensENews and MSmagazine.com. In addition, an unconventional breakthrough in the media attention to the ERA occurred on cable TV’s Comedy Central Channel late night “Colbert Report” on March 29: Satirical comedian Stephen Colbert called attention to the new congressional push for the Equal Rights Amendment and then made fun of the silly anti-ERA argument that the ERA will lead to unisex bathrooms! Note: While most of the news coverage, understandably, highlighted the reintroductions of the “start-over” ERA resolutions (which would require passage by two-thirds of both Houses of Congress plus fresh ratifications by 38 or more states), many also mentioned, with reasonable accuracy and favorability, the three-state strategy that the ERA Campaign Network particularly focuses on (while also cooperating with and encouraging the “start-over” approach). Proponents of both strategies generally have the constructive attitude of “Hey, whatever works, works!” March 10, 2007: North Dakota reaffirms its 1975 ratification of the ERA On February 13, 2007, The North Dakota House of Representatives unanimously passed a historic resolution recommitting their state to the Equal Rights Amendment that it had successfully passed in 1975. Their Senate followed, completing passage of the resolution by a near unanimous vote on March 9, 2007. The text of Concurrent Resolution (HCR3032) reads as follows: “A concurrent resolution acknowledging the actions of the 44th Legislative Assembly of North Dakota and the sponsors of Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4007 affirming the equal application of the United States Constitution to all citizens through the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment; declaring Friday, March 9, 2007, North Dakota Equal Rights Amendment Recognition Day; and encouraging a recommitment to the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in all states and final passage in Congress. “WHEREAS, the proposed Equal Rights Amendment provides "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex" and Congress sent the Equal Rights Amendment to the states for ratification on March 22, 1972; and “WHEREAS, on February 11, 1975, North Dakota became the 34th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, due to the efforts of a broad spectrum of supporters, including the Coordinating Council for the Equal Rights Amendment, the 44th Legislative Assembly, and Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4007 sponsors Senators Redlin and Lips and Representatives Homuth and Pyle; and “WHEREAS, many women worked all of their lives for a constitutional amendment affirming that women had equal rights and protections under the United States Constitution, including Alice Paul, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony; and “WHEREAS, 35 of the needed 38 states ratified the Equal Rights Amendment and without ratification the United States Constitution fails to guarantee female citizens equal rights and equal justice; “NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF NORTH DAKOTA, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN: “That the Sixtieth Legislative Assembly acknowledges the actions of the 44th Legislative Assembly of North Dakota and the sponsors of Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 400716 affirming the equal application of the United States Constitution to all citizens through the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment; and "BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sixtieth Legislative Assembly declares Friday, March 9, 2007, North Dakota Equal Rights Amendment Recognition Day; and “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Sixtieth Legislative Assembly encourages a recommitment to the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in all states and final passage in Congress; and “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State forward copies of this resolution to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States, and to each member of the North Dakota Congressional Delegation.” January 29, 2007: Not-yet-ratified ARKANSAS: Looking good for ratification in 2007! Leaders and members of ERA Arkansas, Arkansas units of BPW, AAUW, League of Women Voters and NOW; the Arkansas Education Association; all the Arkansas constitutional officers from governor and lieutenant governor on down; many members of the Arkansas legislature; and many other Arkansans passionate to have their state be the next one to ratify the ERA, have been hard at work. They filled the rotunda of the State House in Little Rock for an enthusiastic ERA rally on January 24, with many prominent speakers. Their hopes (and the hopes of ERA supporters all over the country) are now high that the Arkansas legislature will be successful in ratifying the ERA within the next few weeks. The ratification bills were filed in both houses of the legislature on January 24, by Rep. Lindsley Smith and Sen. Sue Madison. As of today, there are 68 cosponsors of the ratification resolution in the House, with only 51 votes required to pass. In the Senate, there are 11 cosponsors (plus three more pledged votes) thus far, with more expected soon; 18 votes will be needed to pass.
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