ERA MN BlogCategories & Archives
Click "Details" at bottom of page Read articles about ERA from newspapers, online, etc
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 US House Passes HJ Res 17! Washington, D.C.: Today the US House passed a joint resolution to remove the arbitrary and capricious time limit on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) with a bipartisan vote of 222-204. "This is a historic moment for our country," said Betty Folliard, President Emeritus of ERA Minnesota. "Today's US House ERA vote signals an inflection point, recognizing that women were intentionally left out of the Constitution from its inception and righting that egregious wrong." "This is one giant step for womankind in our quest to secure the same legal rights as a class as men, as a class, enjoy." said ERA Minnesota President Heather Allison. "The ERA will protect all of us equally under the law against discrimination on the basis of sex. And all means all." Next steps for this resolution is to go to the US Senate for adoption where it has been given a priority number of SJ Res 1.
0 Comments
by Betty Folliard
Our national partners ERA Coalition will host a live celebration and watch party for the upcoming House vote, this WEDNESDAY (3/17)! The debate starts at 2:30 PM CT-----Vote at 3:30 PM CT. They'll start the conversation before the floor speeches begin, and then we can watch the floor speeches. Afterwards we’re invited to join in on the celebration, featuring some special guests, coalition members, and elected officials. You can watch the full livestream on ERA Coalition Facebook page. This vote and the watch party is slated to happen on Wednesday, but the time is still in flux with the US House, so keep an eye on www.Facebook.com/ERAcoalition. Dear ERA Coalition Lead Organizations and Advocates,
Welcome to House vote week! I am writing to share some important resources and updates with you as we all prepare for this week’s exciting events. Take Action with our House Vote Share Kit! In advance of the House vote we want to make sure that the members of Congress are hearing from us that we want them to vote for HJ Res 17 when it is on the floor. Please use, and widely share, our share kit with graphics and posts. I’m also including a link to our updated action alert page for you to share with your netowrks. Link to ERA House Vote Share Kit: House Vote Share Kit Link to Updated Action Alert: Take Action Link to watch Rules Committee meeting on HJ Res 17- Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. The Rules Committee will meet to establish the rules for the House vote which will take place on Wednesday. We’ve heard that the ERA will likely be debated late Tuesday afternoon. We will send out a notice when it is about to be brought up. Announcement of Rules Committee meeting: Meeting Announcement for Tuesday, March 16, 2021 | House of Representatives Committee on Rules Watch stream of the Rules Committee meeting here: House of Representatives Committee on Rules | Date/Timing of Vote The House will bring the ERA to the floor for a vote this Wednesday, March 17th. The House is also planning to vote on the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) the same day and we don’t yet have confirmation which bill will hit the floor first. We are told that General Debate on the ERA will begin around 12:00 pm and that a vote is expected to begin around 3:30 pm with final passage around 4:15 pm. Join us for a celebration of the House Vote! The ERA Coalition will be hosting a live Zoom event and invite all our partners to join us. We will be streaming this event on Facebook as well. Feel free to invite your friends to the Facebook event! We be inviting members of Congress, celebrities and advocates from across the country to join us before the House begins it debate and after it finishes during the vote to talk about what this means, where we go next, and celebrate the win together! You can register at the link below: Event info for RSVP (date and time will change). Register in advance for this meeting at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYld-CuqjkuH9Xt9GO7VzOV35_Ml4DSWaL2 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The date and time will change as soon as we have firm confirmation of the start time, but we’ll be in touch with registrants with the new date/time as soon as we have it. Best wishes, Bettina Bettina Hager (she/her) DC Director & Director, Outreach and Advocacy | ERA Coalition/Fund for Women's Equality (FFWE) By Betty Folliard
ERA Members - I have good news and bad news: First the good news: You may have seen info I shared on social media regarding the intention of the US Speaker of the House to bring up HJRes17 - Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s bill to remove the extra-textual time limit on the ERA - next week! The plan is to hear it on Monday 3/15, if nothing else interferes, as that day is RBG’s birthday. And to our advantage, because the US House has a rule that a bill which has had a hearing in committee in a recent previous session does not have to go through that process again and can go directly to the House Floor, we may get a vote on this bill as early as Monday. The result of this action will put additional emphasis on getting POTUS (President of the United States) & the brand new White House Gender Policy Council to act on the ERA. That coupled with Merrick Garland’s nomination moving forward may get positive results out of the DOJ sooner rather than later to reverse the toxic Trump DOJ ‘opinion’ that stopped the Archivist from publishing the ERA. That’s good news all around! One further note: on the litigation the judge who ruled against the AG’s lawsuit left the door open on the ERA for Congressional action. So let’s make sure they get that time limit removed! One thing I know is that activists for the ERA never take No for an answer, but we can redirect our passion to federal action this week. You can use this ERA Coalition form to thank co-sponsors & to encourage those who are not on the bill yet to be co-sponsors of the federal ERA by signing up here: http://www.eracoalition.org/take-action/era-time-limit-removal-bills Now the bad news: I heard the final word from the MN House Judiciary Chair - something she signaled to many this week - that there simply was not room in committee to hear our bills before the first deadline today. This was due to time constraints and the pressure of passing a budget while dealing with the Covid pandemic and all while working under difficulties of for the first time holding Zoom remote committee meetings. Also there were delays in getting our bills out earlier because of internal snafus at the legislature, and late bill introductions due to remote working environments and abnormally slow Revisor’s office bill jacketing. I have heard from several of our MN House bill chief authors expressing their regret and readiness to charge ahead next year. In the MN Senate, there was no chance of action; though Sandy Pappas told me that, in her conversation with Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, he gave a hard no to this year but said “maybe’ next year. That was the most hopeful word we’re hear from him in 5 years. (I can’t tell you the disappointment I feel, but we will prevail.) But there is light at the end of the tunnel on the state ERA front: Judiciary Chair Becker-Finn is a supporter of the ERA and has promised to hear all of our bills next session - still in time for the state ERA to be added to the 2022 General Election ballot. That is good news indeed. AND - In the meantime, for our federal ERA Resolution to Congress push; Rep. Frank Hornstein is circulating a letter today - to garner signatures of as many legislators as he can - to send to Congress this coming Monday (3/15) asking our Congressional delegation to vote yes on HJRes17. He did not just look at what we can’t do, but looked for what we can do, and we applaud his initiative. This past week saw an extraordinary push from ERA activists on the state level and we should be very proud of the work we have done thus far. We lifted the banner of ERA in spite of extraordinary headwinds of a global pandemic. Now let’s see where we can get nationally this next week. Fabulous News! Progress toward equality just got a whole lot closer, with bipartisan co-sponsors having introduced ERA bills as “Day 1 Bills” in both the US House & the US Senate!
What this means is that these bills to remove the extra-textual time limit imposed on the ERA just became priority bills in both houses. We now have a pro-equality President, a pro-equality US House, and a pro-equality US Senate. Equality of rights under the law I have never been closer. Meanwhile, our primary push is to encourage the Biden Administration to pick up the phone and tell the Office of Legal Counsel to remove the previous Trump opinion that blocked the US Archivist from certifying the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. And ERA Minnesota is on amicus briefs for two major lawsuits to end the blockade put up by the previous administration. Great article in MinnPost about women in politics... A big finding of University of Virginia professor Jennifer Lawless’ work is that when women run for office they are just as likely as men to win their races. The offset is that they are so much less likely to run. [Read More]
This is a recorded Zoom presentation that Betty Folliard did for the Minneapolis AAUW.
ST PAUL, July 2, 2020 – ERA Minnesota (ERAMN) is proud to join an amicus brief on behalf of a national coalition of over 50 women's rights organizations to impel the US Archivist to certify the now-ratified Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
This amicus brief was filed on behalf of ERA Coalition, a national coalition of 76 member organizations of which ERA Minnesota is a Lead Organization, advocating for state and federal constitutional amendments to guarantee equal rights regardless of sex. The amicus brief was created by a team at Winston & Strawn Law Firm in Chicago spearheaded by Linda Coberly, managing partner at the firm and Chair of ERA Coalition's Legal Task Force. Now that the ERA has satisfied all constitutional requirements to formally ratify it into the US Constitution, this amicus brief argues that the arbitrary, extra-textual 7-year time frame imposed by Congress in 1972 should not prevent adoption as it does not have the power to alter provisions of the Constitution that govern amendments. "Thank you to the Attorneys General of Nevada, Illinois, & Virginia for authoring this litigation to ensure that the ERA is acknowledged as the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution," said Heather Allison, President of ERA Minnesota “The ERA is the most logical step to forming a more perfect union by including all in the founding document of our country.” “This litigation is supported by 23 Attorney’s General, major law firms, 93 major companies & corporations, and vast, diverse women’s rights organizations across the land,” said Betty Folliard, Founder of ERAMN; “and on the 100th Anniversary of women gaining the rights to vote, it’s high time to provide constitutional protections against sex discrimination.” Here is a complete list of participants in this amicus brief:
What you can do...
Social distancing, distance learning, job loss, economic insecurity ~ these are just a few of the many issues that have become front and center while our world is rocked by the Coronavirus. Women are more than 1/2 of the single parent wage earners, 2/3 of minimum wage earners, 2/3 of tip-workers and 2/3 of seniors living in poverty. Add to that women statistically having a longer life-expectancy and make up a higher number of the population living alone. What does this mean in the time of a pandemic? Women in this country statistically make up more than 90% of the nurses in our healthcare system, over 75% of caregivers in our homes and care facilities, as well as make up a significant percent of doctors. It means that women are at the forefront of the fight and are still not being treated equally under the law in terms of equitable pay, retirement benefits or receiving access to affordable healthcare and childcare. While our state and national governments are working hard to fight COVID-19, we must remember those who are on the front lines of the war and support them with equal rights under the law. What can you do to help the ERA? Contact leadership in the Minnesota and US Senate and tell them to support passage of the Equal Rights Amendment into the US and Minnesota constitutions. ACT NOW HERE What can you do about the virus? Follow the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the MN Department of Health:
Additional Resources From Our Allies Here are links to COVID-related resources as provided by some of ERA Minnesota's allies: Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan: https://mn.gov/governor/news/ Education Minnesota: https://educationminnesota.org/resources/in-the-classroom/Coronavirus Minnesota AFL-CIO: https://www.mnaflcio.org/updates/coronavirus-covid-19-information Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE): https://mape.org/covid-19 Outfront Minnesota: https://www.outfront.org/ Third Thursdays: Keep an eye on our calendar for upcoming Virtual Third Thursday events: https://www.eramn.org/events.html Press Release from ERA Coalition.
For immediate release - January 15, 2020. Richmond, VA – The ERA Coalition is celebrating an historic victory. The Equal Rights Amendment is about to clear its final Constitutional hurdle as Virginia becomes the 38th state to ratify it, now that both the Senate and the House of Delegates have passed identical bills to be formalized in an upcoming procedural vote. As we mark the 100th anniversary of American women winning the right to vote, we can also celebrate the success of the nearly 100 year-long quest for constitutional equality. The ERA Coalition was formed in 2014 to work for constitutional equality. Our own polling shows that 94% of Americans support the ERA – and an unprecedented 99% of millennials support it. The message is clear: it is time for women to have equal rights in the Constitution. Women will no longer be subjected to second-class citizenship in the United States. Despite this overwhelming support, some still seek to deny women equality. We will work closely with Congress to remove any ambiguity or obstacles that opponents argue remain in the way. The Coalition will also monitor the courts to stay current with any litigation concerning the Equal Rights Amendment. We will also continue to work with the 12 remaining unratified states in an effort to secure ratification of the ERA by all fifty states. It’s an historic day in America. Virginia, with bipartisan support, has now pushed women around the country across the finish line toward equality and freedom from discrimination on account of sex. This has been an incredible team effort beginning with the three women who co-founded the Coalition: co-president Jessica Neuwirth, Coalition Board Chair Maria Vullo, and Treasurer Liz Young. They have worked alongside our CEO and co-President Carol Jenkins and former chair of the ERA Coalition and current chair of our sister organization Fund for Women’s Equality Chair Marcy Syms. Our gratitude goes out to our amazing board, our D.C. Director Bettina Hager, our legal task force, and our lead organizations and supporters. We thank you all. Today is a day to celebrate. ## #ERAMN officers Betty Folliard and Suzann Willhite, will join #VAratifyERA advocates, national affiliates Equal Means Equal & ERA Coalition, and activists from across the country in Richmond, Virginia to help bend the arc of history toward justice and equality in America.
Virginia is the only state in the Confederate South to have voted in a liberal legislature, and now lawsuits are flying into the federal courts on both sides of the argument to determine whether or not to void the artificial deadline that was imposed on the ERA. “The closer we get to achieving justice & equal rights for women, the more the pushback. Now the Trump* Administration’s Department of Justice has weighed in, issuing an opinion that the ERA deadline is passed. That’s their opinion and their opinion is not binding either in Congress or in the courts,” said Ms. Folliard. “We’re going to Virginia to declare otherwise, because you can’t put a time limit on human rights.” “Congress changed the deadline once already and they have the power to do so again,” said Heather Allison, President of ERAMN. “We have legislation to that affect in both houses of Congress, and in the US House a majority of members are co-sponsors of our bill.” This is an historic year, representing the 100th Anniversary of women’s right to vote, and women’s rights activists intend to complete the unfinished business of the Suffragists, to pass the ERA. “The unfinished business is to finally include women in the foundational document of this country – the US Constitution,” said Suzann Willhite, ERAMN Secretary. “Let us in.” *impeached
There being 21 Ayes & 11 No’s, the US House Judiciary Committee just passed #HJRes79- the bill to #DeleteTheDeadline on the #EqualRightsAmendment #ERA!
The US House Committee on the Judiciary met Wednesday, November 13, 2019 to discuss House Judicary Resolution 79: Removing the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Chairman Nadler's opening statement included: "H.J. Res. 79, introduced by Representative Jackie Speier with 217 co-sponsors, would ensure that the Equal Rights Amendment, or "ERA," can become part of our Constitution if and when a sufficient number of states ratify it. Specifically, this short and straightforward measure provides that notwithstanding the ratification deadline that Congress set for the ERA in 1972, and extended in 1978, the ERA "shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States." [read the whole statement/press release] Thank you, #ChairmanNadler. Video Coverage of the hearing:
Here is the full coverage of the hearing. It should start at the beginning, but if not:
The hearing begins at 50:33 and ends at 2:12:29.
FYI: This resolution would still have to pass through a US Senate committee and then pass through both Chambers, in exactly the same form, and signed by the President (or, re-passed in override of a presidential veto; or, remain unsigned for ten days while Congress is in session) to become a law.
Call Nancy Pelosi (Speaker of the House) NOW and demand a full House vote on HJRes79! CA tel: (415) 556-4862 DC tel: (202) 225-4965 Virginia voters made it happen! Democrats flipped the house and senate and have control of state government for the first time in a generation. They have elected candidates who can ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
Phase 2 of the fight begins -- all legislators must be contacted and encouraged to vote to ratify the ERA for the good of the country. Virginia will be the 38th state and with that comes RATIFICATION! Read a full article from the Washington Post Week Five Report – Strengthening Momentum for ERA Ratification in Virginia
By Kamala, Natalie & the Equal Means Equal Team Since our Week Two Report on September 26th, EQUAL MEANS EQUAL has been on the ground doing educational outreach in the communities in and around south/central Virginia. The local news caught our visit to Hampton University, a HBCU (Historically Black College or University). [Read More] see the full posting at Equal Means Equal blog Note: If Virginia ratifies the National ERA we will have reached the critical 38 states to have a National Equal Rights Amendment! ACTION STEPS
ERAMN Federal Update by Betty Folliard 9.11.19
PROGRESS REPORT
   What: ERAMN will be hosting a good old fashioned Summer Social with a potluck buffet, root beer floats, an outdoor screening of the short film "Legalize Equality", and a bonfire!
Why: In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Minnesota Suffrage Day (women getting the right to vote), and a look at the work still to be done. Where: 2150 Mailand Road E, St. Paul, MN 55119. (Note: It's a one-acre property at the end of a narrow dead-end dirt road. Look for parking signs before you arrive and then walk to the end of the road.) Time: 6 - 9 pm. Screening around 7:45 ish. Bonfire to follow. Food Note: We'll supply the hot dogs (all beef and veggie), condiments, chips and a keg of root beer - feel free to bring a side or dessert to share - or your own beverage if root beer isn't your thing :-) ! Cost: FREE -- but donations are always welcome! RSVPs are appreciated (for food planning) so click HERE to let us know you're coming! ERA MN President Emeritus Betty Folliard presented the Plenary Speech at the National NOW Conference.
You can view the view the opening presentation on the National Organization for Women's facebook page. Look for Betty's ERAMN Plenary Speech from 25:34 to 38:43. Betty Folliard, Rep. Rena Moran and Patty Mac also presented a workshop on how a ratified state supports the National ERA effort and how a state without an ERA is working to get one in their Minnesota state constitution. ERAMN National NOW Workshop Is Just Days Away!
The first workshop to be offered at the National NOW Convention in Bloomington this Friday is presented by ERA Minnesota! Check it our here: https://now.org/conference/workshops/; then be sure to get registered here: https://now.org/conference/. Hope to see you there! 7/3/2019 ERAMN Workshop, & Plenary at the National NOW Conference in Bloomington July 19-21Read NowERAMN Workshop, & Plenary at the National NOW Conference in Bloomington July 19-21
We’re thrilled to announce that ERA Minnesota (ERAMN) will have a strong presence at the National NOW Conference which is coming here on Friday July 19-21. Join us there by registering HERE: https://now.org/conference/ On Friday 7/19, at 10:45 AM, ERAMN will have our "ERA 2020: The Minnesota Model” Workshop presented by ERA federal legislation chief author Rep. Rena Moran, and ERAMN’s Betty Folliard & Patty McDonald. The Topic: What can a ratified state do to take the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) over the Finish Line? And what actions can a state without a state ERA do to advance the ERA?ERA Minnesota (ERAMN) aims to “Educate, Agitate & Activate” a sleeping electorate to finally pass the ERA. Because our greatest barrier to ratifying the ERA is education, we’ve devised a two-pronged approach aimed at garnering state & federal ERA’s to finally achieve the goal of legalizing equality. Minnesota state ERA approach embraces intersectional language to ensure inclusivity of ALL into our state constitution; and we composed a Resolution to Congress to “Delete the Deadline” on the ERA that directly aligns with ERA bills in Congress. This workshop will provide cutting-edge multi-media illustrations & specific actions to advance both state & federal ERA’s – through the use of billboards, city & county resolutions, print/media coverage, focus ads, targeted districts, house parties, etc. - to roust the sleeping public. It is designed to motivate and to encourage cross-pollination of ideas so together we will make equal legal in 2020. On Saturday 7/20, ERAMN President Emeritus Betty Folliard will give her Plenary speech to the conference on ERA entitled”Bold Vision: ERA2020”. ERAMN will also be tabling on all three days, so if you’d like to volunteer, send us an email at heather@eramn.org. ERAMN on MPR Tomorrow at 11!
ERAMN Founder Betty Folliard & Representative Kaohly Her will be on MPR News with Angela Davis tomorrow - TUESDAY, July 2 - at 11 AM talking about the #EqualRightsAmendment. To join the #ERA discussion. Call in to 651-227-6000. 7/3/19 UPDATE: Hear the recorded show HERE. BIG NEWS!
The US House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler has called the first official hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on the Equal Rights Amendment- HJRes38 (which corresponds to Rena Moran's HF71) to be held on Tuesday, April 30th. This is the 1st time in 36 years that the ERA will be discussed in Congress! And we look forward to the MN House airing of Rena's bill. ACTION ALERT: 1-MINUTE EFFORT
Click below to send a clear message to your US Senators & Congress Member to sign onto #ERA ”Delete the Deadline” Resolutions‼️ SJRes6: Sponsor Senator Cardin seems to be taking a balanced approach to co-sponsors. So far there’s himself (D), 2 R’s, & 1 I on the bill. Both Klobuchar & Smith signed on last Session, and should get on this year. H.J.Res.38: Here in MN, thus far only Craig, Omar & McCollum are signed on. There are a record 182 Co-sponsors on the bill❣️ Let’s give ‘em a nudge. Go HERE to send your message now! PRESS RELEASE from the Senate DFL Caucus
Committee to Review Bills Barred from Senate Hearings Sen. Little to Chair; Sen. Franzen, Vice Chair; St. Paul, MN – “These bills could save many lives and tax dollars,” Sen. Little (DFL-Lakeville) previewed, “But they haven’t been given a single senate hearing. Our democracy isn’t supposed to work this way- it’s the worst kind of partisanship.” The fictitious ‘Senate Committee on Banned Bills’ will hold a very real hearing on April 1stat 9:00am in 1100 Minnesota Senate Building to review a variety of legislation that have been refused committee hearings in the senate. This committee hearing will be open to the public and people are encouraged to attend. “These bills have huge public support and are common sense ideas,” Sen. Little continued, “They’ve been banned for completely crass partisan reasons; because they are targeting certain seats, and don’t want to give certain people any achievements to campaign with. But the senate can’t make good decisions if major options aren’t even on the table. Partisan games like this are rigging our democracy, and blocking bills that voters really want.” The Senate Committee on Banned Bills (COBB) is slated to review the proposed bills, take testimony from citizens and expert witnesses, and debate the merits of each policy. A wide array of bills will be introduced during the hearing, including legislation dealing with paid family medical leave, gun safety, and the health care provider tax [agenda and complete list of members and bills below]. Until late yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka had declared that he would “do everything in his power” to prevent new gun legislation. Early this morning the Star Tribune reported that Leader Gazelka had changed position and agreed to allow a hearing on certain gun safety measures if the house passed the same bills first. “I am encouraged by Sen. Gazelka’s apparent willingness to hear my background check and red flag bills,” Sen. Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park) commented, “But his announcement comes only two days before the committee deadline. As of yet, these hearings have not been scheduled, so this April first hearing will make sure that the views of the majority of Minnesotans are heard in the Senate.” “Reforms like universal background checks are supported by over 87% of all Minnesota gun owners,” Sen. Latz noted, “These issues deserve to be heard in the senate.” For other senators, their motivations center around key issues, such as restoring the rights of felons after they have completed their sentences. “Restoring voting rights after people have done their time just makes sense,” Sen. Champion (DFL-Minneapolis) explained, “How can you expect people to feel they have a chance in life if we keep them on the outside forever? Restoring their right to vote isn’t enough, but it’s an important step toward making them a productive, whole person again, after they’re released. That would be life changing for thousands of people.” For Sen. Susan Kent (DFL-Woodbury), Paid Family and Medical Leave is a test of Minnesota’s moral compass, “Whether we assist or abandon families during a medical crisis says a lot about who we are as a society. Forcing people to choose between a day’s pay or caring for a dying parent is a moral failure for Minnesota. The public is overwhelmingly behind paid family and medical leave. And many businesses want it because they can’t provide paid leave if their competitors don’t have to provide it too. If businesses and families want paid medical leave, why won’t the senate even give this bill a hearing? It’s a disgrace.” All the senate members of the Committee on Banned Bills share the view that the normal democratic process requires hearings on all major options. “We are not talking about small, obscure, radical bills here,” Sen. Franzen (DFL-Edina) noted, “These are consensus policies on major issues. These proposals deserve a hearing, and most importantly, the citizens who have poured their energy into these bills deserve to be heard.” The fate of these bills will be uncertain even after the Committee on Banned Bills hears them. “We hope this hearing puts pressure on committee chairs to hear these bills,” Sen. Little noted, “But either way, we want voters to know about these crucial issues so they can make up their own minds. We can’t let crass partisanship prevent voters from learning about key issues.” Sen. Little believes advocates for these issues have been left with no alternative, “If the committee chairs won’t do the right thing, then we have to. They’ve left millions of Minnesotans with no voice and no hope on some of the biggest issues facing families today.” Senate Committee on Banned Bills Agenda for Monday, April 1:
Senator Matt Little represents Senate District 58, which covers Lakeville, Farmington, a small slice of Northfield and more than a dozen townships and small communities including Empire, Vermillion, New Trier and Douglas. Learn more about Sen. Little. This has been a banner month for the federal Equal Rights Amendment: 18 more House members have signed on to H.J.Res.38 to remove the deadline on the federal ERA, bringing the total number of supporters to 174.
Also, since the February introduction, two more Senators signed on to S.J.Res 6, the companion bill. In the Senate, what’s extraordinary about S.J.Res.6 is that two of its co-sponsors, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) & Susan Collins (R-ME) are Republicans, thus cutting from 4 to 2 the number of Republicans who still need to be persuaded to support the measure if all 45 Senate Democrats and 2 Senate Independents vote to pass it. All this has occurred though it's still early days in the new Congress, and the big push to garner co-authors in the Senate has not even begun yet. Since the US House has a good majority of Democrats, and Democrats have supported the ERA for the past 75 years, H.J.Res.38 is bound to pass. And the chair of the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Congressman Jerry Nadler, has promised a hearing in the US House soon where it will be passed and sent to the floor. That will enable Speaker Pelosi to bring the “DELETE THE DEADLINE” Resolution to the House Floor for passage, where it will pass. As in Minnesota for the state ERA, the US Senate is the bottleneck; but if just 2 more Republican members sponsor it and the US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell allows it through (that’s a BIG IF), then the deadline can be removed and the federal ERA ratified. TAKE ACTION: Please call members of the MN Delegation not yet on the House or Senate bill and ask that they sign on to S.J.Res.38 & H.J.Res.6. Thank you! Senators - Smith (202) 224-5641 Klobuchar (202) 224-3244 Congressmen - Phillips (202) 225-2871 Hagedorn (202) 225-2472 Stauber (202) 225-6211 Emmer (202) 225-2331 Peterson (202) 225-2165 |
AuthorERA Minnesota (ERAMN) is a coalition of individuals and organizations working to secure an Equal Rights Amendment to the State and Federal Constitutions. Archives
March 2021
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
