Pass the ERA

The ERA, really? Didn’t we do that 40 years ago?
In a word, No. The Equal Rights Amendment states:

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

The ERA was introduced in every Congressional session from 1923 – 1972, when it finally passed. It is one of the few amendments in history to be given a time limit for ratification, and the deadline is not in the binding text of the document itself. In fact, it was later extended by another congress for an additional three years, allowing a total of on ten years in which to obtain ratification in the required 38 states and become part of the U.S. Constitution. In that time, 35 states ratified the ERA, leaving us only in need of 3 more states to guarantee women full citizenship rights. The precedent for extending the deadline has been set. Further, what Congress imposes, Congress can remove. Current efforts to pass the ERA are focused on having Congress remove the deadline entirely, while the remaining unratified states work toward ratification.

Are you living in a Yes State or a State of Denial?

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, N. Carolina, Oklahoma, Nevada, S. Carolina, Utah and Virginia

These 15 states have not ratified the ERA – we only need 3 of them to ratify to meet the required 38.

Join our Action Network by writing to Sylvia M. Ramos, M.D. FeministCaucusChair@humanistsocietyofnm.org.