Equal Rights Amendment Update 2019-09-12

The E.R.A., a proposed amendment to the Constitution, would guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. It would also require states to intervene in cases of gender violence, such as domestic violence and sexual harassment; it would guard against pregnancy and motherhood discrimination; and it would federally guarantee equal pay. Duration 00:05:45.

From the N.Y. Times.

ERA could be back in Congress soon.

Why does the E.R.A. matter?

Because women don’t currently have equal protection under the United States Constitution. By some estimates, 80 percent of Americans mistakenly believe that women and men are guaranteed equal rights, but the only right the Constitution explicitly extends to both men and women is the right to vote.

The E.R.A., a proposed amendment to the Constitution, would guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. It would also require states to intervene in cases of gender violence, such as domestic violence and sexual harassment; it would guard against pregnancy and motherhood discrimination; and it would federally guarantee equal pay.

So just one more state is needed for the E.R.A. to move forward?

It’s a start. Aside from finding another state to ratify, the 1982 deadline would need to be repealed or overruled — an effort to do so is currently in the works by Jerry Nadler, the House judiciary chairman, Robles-Román and Jenkins said. (There are questions about whether a deadline can in fact be imposed for ratifying an amendment.)

Another potential obstacle: Five states have since rescinded their ratifications, though the Constitution speaks only to a state’s power to ratify an amendment, not to the power to rescind a ratification, which may lead to another legal entanglement.

Regardless, there’s renewed hope among supporters, especially with the House now in Democratic control and more women than ever in office. So much of this now is the energy and the momentum.

Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/us/equal-rights-amendment-what-is-it.html

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. It seeks to end the legal distinctions between men and women in terms of divorce, property, employment, and other matters.[1] The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman, and was first introduced in Congress in December 1923

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Rights_Amendment

History of the Equal Rights Amendment

https://www.equalrightsamendment.org/the-equal-rights-amendment

National Equal Rights Alliance Inc. https://www.2passera.org/

Sandy Oestreich

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