ERA TASK FORCE REPORT

Ongoing

We continue our effort to obtain support from Congress members for the Resolutions to do away with the deadline for Ratification of the ERA (S J Res 15 and H J Res 43).

So far we have 104 co-sponsors in the House and 34 co-sponsors in the Senate (including Senators Udall and Heinrich and Representative Lujan Grisham). We still need to get Representatives Pearce and Lujan to sign. Please continue to contact them by phone, snail mail, email, twitter. You may contact them with a click at the GovTrack site below.

• I receive updates on new national sponsors from GovTrack.us. (Govtrack.us link) This is a site where you can access information about legislators and legislation (national and local) and get updates.

Yes, if the resolutions are not passed this year, they will be reintroduced in the next Congress. Previous sponsors do sign on to the new Resolutions. Therefore, it is worth continuing to push for new co-sponsors even this late in the year.

We support the efforts by Sandy Oestrich and her group in Florida to get the Florida State legislature to ratify the ERA at its next session in 2014.  www.2PassERA.org

It is looking hopeful and she needs help from people calling, emailing and tweeting the leaders of the Florida legislature. You can do this even if you are not a constituent. Please contact her to lend support, especially if you know people in Florida. http://sandyo@passera.org

Upcoming

ERA Recognition Day is at the NM State Legislature on Monday, January 27, 2014.

As part of the day’s activities, we will:

• Speak with legislators about women’s rights and the ongoing need for a guarantee of equality for women in the US Constitution * present a short program about the ERA in the Rotunda from 2:30 to 3:30 PM
• Join with other women-focused organizations in a day of activism to highlight the human rights of women.

Among the other organizations are Abq-NOW, the American Association of University Women, the NM Coalition for Choice, Santa Fe NOW and the League of Women Voters.

Please join us to participate in our Democracy in support of women’s rights.

More information will go out in early January and will be posted at www.Facebook.com/ and Nmwomensequalityday.