ERA Once and For All

Equality for All, Nothing Less

People think the ERA passed.  People know the ERA did not pass.  People think we don't need it.  People know we do need it.  The Equal Rights Amendment has been misunderstood, ignored and treasured since 1923.  Written by Alice Paul and edited to its final form, these twenty four words are held dear by a handful of people who are dedicated to Constitutionality for all Americans.

Thirty-five states ratified by the deadline June 30, 1982, three states short of the thirty-eight required for a constitutional amendment.  Whether or not the deadline is legal remains unknown, as it was an extraordinary requirement.  What does remain is fervent activists, stalwart opposition and Congressional support.

ERA Once and For All is a national movement with the mission statement that includes:

• support all strategies for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment
• distribution of information on the current status of the ERA
• education on the history of the ERA

Follow ERA Once and For All on Facebook amd Twitter (@ERAforall).  Please email information you would like posted, questions you would like answered, endorsements from you and your organizations.  This movement includes everyone Once and For All.

News February 2010

At the national level news is precious and slow regarding the Equal Rights Amendment. The Start-over 38 State Strategy, HJ Res 61 awaits Senate sponsorship and sits in the House Sub-committee on the Constitution.  The 3 State Strategy is burgeoning through state champions in the non-ratified states with relentless interest in Florida and Virginia.

Current Status

Three State Strategy  The 3-state strategy has not been introduced in to the 111th Congress yet.  There are people working in the non-ratified states to add 3 more to the required 38.  In particular, there is tremendous work afoot in Florida and Virginia. 

Thirty-eight State Strategy  The 38 state strategy has been introduced into the House of the 111th Congress by Rep Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) July 21, 2009.  H.J Res 61, originally co-sponsored by 75 representatives.  On October 19, 2009, this bill was referred from the Judiciary Committee to the Sub-committee on the Constitution.  

Actions
General

1. Educate everyone you know that the ERA has not passed.
2. Promote the ERA
3. Support ERA Campaign Network
4. Endorse ERA Once and For All 

Three State Strategy
Contact the state campaigns

• Florida
• Virginia 

Thirty-Eight State Strategy

1. Ask Senator Amy Klobuchar to introduce the ERA in the Senate    Sen Klobuchar serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Senator Feinstein also serves on this committee but has declined introducing the ERA.
2. Lobby for more Co-Sponsors in the House.  Is your Rep a Co-Sponsor?
3. Call for hearings in the House Sub-committee on the Constitution Rep Tammy Baldwin, Rep Sheila Jackson Lee & Rep Judy Chu serve on this committee

Current Strategies for the Passage of the ERA

Since the deadline of June 30, 1982 strategies to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment have continued.  Every Congress has had a bill or two in front of them to consider.  In these 27 years, there are two distinct primary strategies. 

THREE STATE STRATEGY The three state strategy adheres to the original plan, carries forward the thirty-five states that did ratify (1972 – 1977) and strives to bring in three more; achieving the required number of thirty-eight.  There are teams of people in many of the non-ratified states working tirelessly to see this through.  As of yet, this strategy has not been introduced into the 111th Congress. 

One of the obstacles the three state strategy supporters face is that some state legislators say that the deadline has passed and therefore there is nothing to vote on or, even if they did vote to ratify, the vote would be found unconstitutional.  In response, there are pro-ERA activists working on legislation to rescind the deadline entirely which seems only fair as the most recently passed amendment was accomplished in 203 years.  Rescinding the deadline would pave the way for the THREE STATE STRATEGY.   

THIRTY-EIGHT STATE STRATEGY The thirty-eight strategy is also known as THE START OVER STRATEGY.  This legislation has the identical language as the three state strategy but holds no deadline at all and goes back to zero.  This has been introduced into the 111th Congress by Rep Carolyn Maloney (D NY) on July 21, 2009.  It is HJ Res 61 which now has 58 sponsors and has been offered to the Judiciary Committee.  Hearings have not been scheduled as of the time of this writing. 

There are some obstacles with the thirt- eight strategy as well.  While the hope is that a national campaign will roar through the country collecting the overwhelming explicit support of the citizenry, several of the previously ratified states have applied to reverse their ratified status and the ERA may stall with even fewer than thirty-five.  Certainly the prospect of losing states is concerning.

The ERA Once and For All campaign supports ALL strategies to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, or by any state, on account of sex.

Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification. 

Renewing America's Promise The 2008 Democratic National Platform

From page 49 of the Renewing America's Promise ~ The 2008 Democratic National Platform

We are committed to ensuring full equality for women: we reaffirm our support for the Equal Rights Amendment, recommit to enforcing Title IX, and will urge passage of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. We will pursue a unified foreign and domestic policy that promotes civil rights and human rights, for women and minorities, at home and abroad.

NOW 2009 ERA Resolution

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT

WHEREAS, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) ensures that women will have equal rights under the Constitution, and the National Organization for Women (NOW) supports the advancement of women's rights; and

WHEREAS, the 2008 election resulted in the historic victory of a president who represents the advancement of all Americans; and

WHEREAS, the only permanent right women explicitly have in the Constitution is the right to vote, and rights not supported by the Constitution can be undermined in legislatures and courts, where women are underrepresented; and

WHEREAS, women still have far to go to achieve equality under the law and have not achieved equal pay for equal work, which would be guaranteed by the ERA; and

WHEREAS, the ERA, introduced in 1972, needs only three more states for passage, and strong ERA advocacy organizations have arisen in the 15 states yet to ratify; and

WHEREAS, legal opinions support the conclusion that "the Constitution imposes no time limit for ratification of amendments," and passage of the Madison Amendment 203 years after it was first proposed supports the determination that Congress can choose any time frame for deciding amendments; and

WHEREAS, a strong campaign to pass the ERA by either strategy can reinvigorate NOW and its state chapters, positively impacting other efforts for women's rights;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that NOW take advantage of this moment in history to support strategies to ratify the ERA; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NOW mobilize all of its chapters and provide nonmonetary resources to support these efforts, such as inclusion in newsletters, press releases, chapter education projects, and the like; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NOW pursue grassroots and legislative strategies in support of both the three-state and the 38-state strategies.