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We need to keep moving forward. by Betty Folliard (as posted in the StarTribune August 23) Another Women's Equality Day will come and go Aug. 26, and still no equality for women is in sight. What have we seen? The regression of our rights. And what actions toward equality of rights for every citizen have been taken to move our state and country toward a more perfect union? At the state level, not a whole heap. In the Minnesota House, early action took place this past session to pass Equal Rights Amendment bills through a host of committees, but an anti-choice majority in that chamber prevented House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, from calling for votes on the House floor. In the Minnesota Senate, far-right conservative white men, clinging to the last throes of a patriarchal structure that has dominated for so long, refused to even meet with activists to entertain the notion of a conversation about the idea of legalizing equality. More forward motion on equal rights is playing out at the federal level. This year the U.S. House passed legislation to remove the arbitrary time limit imposed on the ERA last century; similar action awaits Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, permitting a vote in the U.S. Senate. Meanwhile, many state attorneys general, along with over 200 women's rights and justice organizations, top constitutional law experts, 86 major corporations and others are suing to finally publish the now-ratified Equal Rights Amendment. The sticking point remains a memo sent from the Trump administration to the National Archivist preventing said department from doing its ministerial duty to publish the ERA. But hope is on the horizon. The recent Supreme Court Dobbs decision removing not just our reproductive rights but effectively obliterating 14th Amendment rights has awakened a sleeping public. In response, women are registering in record numbers to vote in this election. This bodes well for electing equality this November. What can the average citizen do to advance equality for people with uteruses? Easy: Ask candidates whether they will champion the Equal Rights Amendment if elected. Then hold them accountable. Vote progressive women into office. Then support their efforts to move America toward a more just society. Vote equality. Elect equality. Then maybe, just maybe, come next year's Women's Equality Day we will actually have something to celebrate. Betty Folliard, of Minneapolis, is a former state representative and president emeritus of ERA Minnesota. You probably have gotten wind of our Elect Equality campaign that we are running this election. We have now contacted every legislative candidate in the state, over 500 candidates, with our questionnaire, followed up by many phone calls. When we get positive responses we will be amplifying them on social media. Please add your voice - let the candidates know what you think and want!
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Minnesota Primary Elections are open until August 9th
Get ready, get informed and VOTE!
Sandy Pappas called a vote on SF323 "Equality under the law shall not be abridged or denied on account of sex" and here it is:  This was a move to get SF323 out of committee to the Senate General Orders and bypass a committee hearing. With a Republican majority, they are not holding hearings on any ERA bills so this is one way to try to move it forward. AND it gets them on the record with a vote yea or nay (see image or below). There is still a chance to get other ERA bills heard this way but likely the same outcome. There is still the chance of a conference committee when we get a vote on the House floor. Speaker Hortman assured us that she would schedule a MN House floor vote. Hang in there all, Suzann ERA President Vote... Yea 30 Nay 32 Dist Name Room Phone: 651-29... 35 Abeler, Jim (R) .................................................. 3215 ...................................... 6-3733 29 Anderson, Bruce D. (R) .................................3209 ...................................... 6-5981 3 Bakk, Thomas M. (I) .....................................328 Cap. ................................. 6-8881 31 Benson, Michelle R. (R) .................................. 3109 ...................................... 6-3219 54 Bigham, Karla (DFL) ....................................... 2411 ...................................... 7-8060 51 Carlson, Jim (DFL) ........................................... 2207 ...................................... 7-8073 38 Chamberlain, Roger C. (R)............................ 3225 ...................................... 6-1253 59 Champion, Bobby Joe (DFL) ....................... 2401 ...................................... 6-9246 57 Clausen, Gregory D. (DFL)............................ 2233 ...................................... 6-4120 47 Coleman, Julia E. (R) ....................................... 2101 ...................................... 6-4837 48 Cwodzinski, Steve (DFL) ............................... 2231 ...................................... 6-1314 16 Dahms, Gary H. (R) ......................................... 2111 ...................................... 6-8138 61 Dibble, D. Scott (DFL) .................................... 2213 ...................................... 6-4191 27 Dornink, Gene (R) ........................................... 3229 ...................................... 6-5240 20 Draheim, Rich (R) ............................................ 3227 ...................................... 6-5558 58 Duckworth, Zach (R) ...................................... 2103 ...................................... 6-7633 60 Dziedzic, Kari (DFL) ........................................ 2203 ...................................... 6-7809 40 Eaton, Chris A. (DFL) ...................................... 2303 ...................................... 6-8869 5 Eichorn, Justin D. (R) ...................................... 3213 ...................................... 6-7079 4 Eken,Kent (DFL) .............................................. 2211 ...................................... 6-3205 62 Fateh, Omar (DFL) ........................................... 2325 ...................................... 6-4261 49 Lopez Franzen, Melisa (DFL) ..................... 2209 ...................................... 6-6238 19 Frentz, Nick A. (DFL) ....................................... 2415 ...................................... 6-6153 9 Gazelka, Paul E. (R).......................................... 3113 ...................................... 6-4875 21 Goggin, Michael P. (R).................................... 3203 ...................................... 6-5612 67 Hawj, Foung (DFL) .......................................... 2201 ...................................... 6-5285 36 Hoffman, John A. (DFL)................................. 2235 ...................................... 6-4154 39 Housley, Karin (R) ............................................ 3217 ...................................... 6-4351 13 Howe, Jeff R. (R) ............................................... 3231 ...................................... 6-2084 8 Ingebrigtsen, Bill (R) ...................................... 3207 ...................................... 7-8063 42 Isaacson, Jason (DFL) .................................... 2229 ...................................... 6-5537 24 Jasinski, John R. (R) ......................................... 3211 ...................................... 6-0284 1 Johnson, Mark (R) ........................................... 3111 ...................................... 6-5782 44 Johnson Stewart, Ann M. (DFL) ............. 2413 ...................................... 6-9261 53 Kent, Susan (DFL) ............................................ 2221 ...................................... 6-4166 30 Kiffmeyer, Mary (R) ......................................... 3103 ...................................... 6-5655 52 Klein, Matt D. (DFL) ........................................ 2409 ...................................... 6-4370 32 Koran, Mark W. (R) ........................................... 3101 ...................................... 6-5419 41 Kunesh, Mary K. (DFL) ................................... 2323 ...................................... 6-4334 17 Lang, Andrew R. (R) ........................................ 3205 ...................................... 6-4918 46 Latz, Ron (DFL) ................................................. 2215 ...................................... 7-8065 34 Limmer, Warren (R) ......................................... 3221 ...................................... 6-2159 66 Marty, John (DFL)............................................ 2301 ...................................... 6-5645 15 Mathews, Andrew (R) .................................... 2105 ...................................... 6-8075 7 McEwen, Jennifer A. (DFL) ........................... 2417 ...................................... 6-4188 28 Miller, Jeremy R. (R) ........................................ 3107 ...................................... 6-5649 64 Murphy, Erin P. (DFL) ...................................... 2319 ...................................... 6-5931 26 Nelson, Carla J. (R) .......................................... 3235 ...................................... 6-4848 18 Newman, Scott J. (R) ...................................... 3105 ...................................... 6-4131 37 Newton, Jerry (DFL) ....................................... 2403 ...................................... 6-2556 33 Osmek, David J. (R) ......................................... 2107 ...................................... 6-1282 65 Pappas, Sandra L. (DFL) ................................ 2205 ...................................... 6-1802 56 Port, Lindsey (DFL) ......................................... 2321 ...................................... 6-5975 55 Pratt, Eric R. (R) ................................................. 3219 ...................................... 6-4123 14 Putnam, Aric (DFL) ......................................... 2327 ...................................... 6-6455 11 Rarick, Jason (R) .............................................. . 3411 ...................................... 6-1508 45 Rest, Ann H. (DFL) ........................................... 2217 ...................................... 6-2889 23 Rosen, Julie A. (R) ............................................ 2113 ...................................... 6-5713 10 Ruud, Carrie (R) ................................................ 3233 ...................................... 6-4913 25 Senjem, David H. (R) ...................................... 3401 ...................................... 6-3903 6 Tomassoni, David J. (I) ................................328 Cap. ................................. 6-8017 63 Torres Ray, Patricia (DFL) .............................. 2225 ...................................... 6-4274 2 Utke, Paul J. (R)................................................. 3403 ...................................... 6-9651 22 Weber, Bill (R) ................................................... 2109 ...................................... 6-5650 12 Westrom, Torrey N. (R) ................................... 3201 ...................................... 6-3826 43 Wiger, Charles W. (DFL) ................................. 2219 ...................................... 6-6820 50 Wiklund, Melissa H. (DFL) ............................ 2227 ...................................... 7-8061
International Women's Day Event on March 8, 2022 was a huge success. There were speakers and the presentation of the petition. See videos below:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2022 Contact: Suzann Willhite: suzann@eramn.org Minnesotans: Give us a vote on the Equal Rights Amendment Petition delivered to Senate Leaders by Coach Cheryl Reeve Saint Paul, MN - Today, on International Women’s Day, Lynx Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve joined ERA Minnesota to deliver a petition to Senate Leaders asking that they place an Equal Rights Amendment before voters. The amendment to the State Constitution would make Minnesota the 27th state to adopt a guarantee for equal rights for all in its state constitution, joining Texas, Florida, Nebraska among others. “I not only have a passion for winning on the court, but a passion for championing issues that have long affected women off the court,” said Cheryl Reeve, Head Coach and General Manager of the Minnesota Lynx. “I am proud to stand with ERA Minnesota and thousands of other Minnesotans who want to vote on an Equal Rights Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution.” “ERA Minnesota represents thousands of Minnesotans asking for a vote on this critical amendment,” said Suzann Willhite, President of ERA Minnesota. “We thank Senate Leaders for being responsive to the many Minnesotans that have joined this petition. This petition, only two weeks old, has gained just over 1,000 signatures from Minnesotans who are active in their communities and pay attention to the action - or inaction - of their legislators.” “I am proud to author S.F. 323, a proposed Constitutional Amendment to guarantee equality under the law,” said Senator Sandy Pappas. “The lack of guaranteed rights means women are paid less on average and don’t have the same equal rights protections as the rest of the population.” The Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment is moving through the Minnesota House, but has yet to get a hearing scheduled in the Minnesota Senate. ## House State Government Finance and Elections
March 3, 2022 - 8:30:00 AM 01:59 - HF726 (Bahner) Gender equality provided under law, and constitutional amendment proposed. 34:14 - HF2026 (Hornstein) ERA; a resolution memorializing Congress to remove the extra-textual time limit for ratification of the amendment by the states. 1:03:21 - HF2847 (Moran) Minnesota Statutes and Rules review required for compliance with Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution. 1:19:19 - HF2863 (Dettmer) Big Marine Lake Veterans Campground wastewater system upgrade funding provided, and money appropriated. Runs 1 hour, 28 minutes. Watch the Video - HERE Read the synopsis - HERE Streamed live on January 27, 2022. Press Conference:
Q&A Follows Q & A starts at 19:30 on video. Speier and Maloney Unveil Resolution Recognizing the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment. Resolution - Expressing the sense of the House of Representative that the article of amendment (commonly known as the "Equal Rights Amendment") to the Constitution is valid. [View Resolution] President Biden's Statement on the ERA:
Today, as the House announces a resolution on the Equal Rights Amendment, I once again want to express my support for the ERA loudly and clearly. I have been a strong supporter of the ERA ever since I first ran for the Senate as a 29-year-old. We must recognize the clear will of the American people and definitively enshrine the principle of gender equality in the Constitution. It is long past time that we put all doubt to rest. I am calling on Congress to act immediately to pass a resolution recognizing ratification of the ERA. As the recently published Office of Legal Counsel memorandum makes clear, there is nothing standing in Congress’s way from doing so. No one should be discriminated against based on their sex—and we, as a nation, must stand up for full women’s equality. ### [Link to Statement]  PRESS ADVISORY For Immediate Release Contact: Suzann Willhite suzann@eramn.org (612) 554-4008 Betty Folliard betty.folliard@gmail.com (612) 868-3511 January 24, 2022 ERAMN Announces #Day1forERA Rally Saint Paul - ERA Minnesota (ERAMN, https://www.eramn.org) is holding a huge rally called #Day1forERA on Monday, January 31, 2022, at 11am in the Minnesota Capitol Rotunda. All are invited. Confirmed speakers thus far are: Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen, Senators Scott Dibble, Mary Kunesh, Jennifer McEwen, Sandy Pappas, Chuck Wiger, and Representatives Kristin Bahner, Kaohly Vang Her, Frank Hornstein, and Rena Moran. Cosponsors to date include: AAUW - Mpls, Alliance of Medical Graduates, Breaking Free, Education Minnesota, GenderJustice, GenERAtionRatify MN, Island & Discarded Women, Isuroon, League of Women Voters (LWV) - Mpls., LWV-MN, LWV-St. Paul, AFL-CIO MN, MN Move to Amend, MN Now, Minnesota Protests, MN Renewable Now, Mom's Demand Action MN, National Council of Jewish Women -MN, OneMN, RISE - Reviving Sisterhood, Rock What You Got, Save our Sons MN, transforming families, UniteWomen-MN, VH4Change, Women Winning, Women's March MN, This Thursday, January 27, 2022, the 28th Amendment becomes enforceable in the courts for cases based on sex discrimination, having been properly ratified by the 38 states on January 27, 2020 and thereby achieving all constitutional requirements to become the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution. As of that date, the two-year waiting period before final enactment specified in the amendment will have expired. Never in the history of this country has an amendment to The Constitution, having achieved all constitutional requirements set out by Article V (that is, adopted by 2/3 of Congress and ratified by 3/4 states) been stalled by an arbitrary time limit, until women’s rights were on the table. We’re done waiting. ERA Minnesota, along with 86 Business & Corporate Entities, 24 states, over fifty national Coalitions and Advocates for Equality & Women’s Rights, International Organizations, the United Conference of Mayors, a host of top Constitutional Law Professors and many others, is on federal litigation (https://VoteEquality.US/FAQ/Virginia-v-Ferriero) to ensure final enactment of the 28th Amendment. ERAMN's goal is to finally pass the long overdue ERA into our state constitution and enshrine equality for all in the US Constitution. We will showcase 11 ERA bills currently before the Minnesota Legislature and share the new ERA COMPLIANCE BILL being introduced this Session. Last year the US Congress passed a bill to rescind the arbitrary time limit that was imposed on women’s rights. Nationally, advocates’ energies are now aimed at the US Senate. And at the Minnesota Capitol, our goal is to declare this year the year to finally make Equality legal by passing our ERA legislation. We welcome the press to our #Day1forERA Rally. ###  ERA Minnesota is a coalition of advocates and organizations dedicated to ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) into our federal & state constitutions. Founded in 2014. The federal ERA simply 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.”
This is a recorded Zoom presentation that Betty Folliard did for the Minneapolis AAUW.
ERAMN Federal Update by Betty Folliard 9.11.19
PROGRESS REPORT
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. Next Friday, March 8th, ERA Minnesota announces our celebration of International Women’s Day #IWD2019 by hosting the 3rd Annual ERA Rally at the Minnesota Capitol Rotunda. The event will feature Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan along with top legislative leaders and ERA supporters, to spotlight the urgent need for an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in our state and federal constitutions.
Legislative leaders and thousands of activists from across the state are pushing to pass two initiatives currently in the Minnesota House & Senate: HF13 (Kunesh-Podein)/SF200 (Cohen) - a Minnesota ERA to the state constitution providing for gender equality under the law and proposing a constitutional amendment that will be added to the ballot in the 2020 general election for voters to decide; and HF71 (Moran)/SF208 (Pappas) - a resolution memorializing Congress to remove the words “June 30th 1982” that comprised the deadline imposed on the ERA federal legislation so the ERA it can be added to the U.S. Constitution when ratified by the last state. The Minnesota House is poised to pass both bills in the coming week. All attention and energies will then pivot to the Minnesota Senate to give the bills full and fair hearings to pass the ERA. WHAT: ERA Lobby Day & Rally at the Capitol WHEN: Friday, March 8th, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, Rally at 10:00 AM (Lobby your senator before and after the Rally) WHERE: Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda HOSTED BY: ERA Minnesota CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
ERA Bill Numbers: HF13/SF200; and HF71/SF208. By: Kevin Featherly | Minnesota Lawyer February 7, 2019
Two bills pushing women’s Equal Rights Amendments in both the state and U.S. constitutions are on the march in the Minnesota House. Both face skepticism from GOP lawmakers and a few constitutional experts, but for now they are on an upward trajectory. House File 13 comes from Rep. Mary Kunesh-Podein, DFL-New Brighton. It has 26 DFL co-sponsors and cleared a committee hurdle on Jan. 24, when it passed out of House Government Operations with a unanimous voice vote. It is scheduled for a hearing at State Government Finance Feb. 7. In an interview, Kunesh-Podein said her ERA bill is a mirror image of the 1970s-vintage federal ERA amendment, which fell three states short of ratification at the time of its final 1982 deadline. The other Minnesota House bill, House File 71 from Rep. Rena Moran, DFL-St. Paul, is a resolution asking Congress to eliminate that deadline and kick-start passage of the federal ERA. Moran’s bill went directly from Government Operations to the general register, to await a still-unscheduled House floor vote. Kunesh-Podein’s bill would place on Minnesota’s 2020 election ballot a constitutional amendment stating that women and men have equal rights under the law. If passed, it would go into effect in January 2021. “Under this legislative majority and with the awareness of gender inequity, now is the time to do this and get it done,” Kunesh-Podein said in an interview. The Jan. 24 vote moved her bill to Ways and Means, and from there to the Feb. 7 State Government Finance hearing. But its unanimity might be slightly misleading. The Jan. 24 vote came after the rejection of a GOP amendment, which aimed to prevent a state ERA from being used to fuel legal challenges to anti-abortion state statutes. “In the broad scope of your bill and your push, I fully support it,” said Rep. Nick Zerwas, R-Elk River, who first offered then withdrew the amendment. “My concern is as a Catholic pro-lifer who doesn’t want to support something that, down the road, is used to justify expansion of abortion access in Minnesota.” At a Jan. 24 House State Government Operations hearing, MCCL Legislative Director Andrea Rau expresses opposition to a state Equal Rights Amendment bill. The legislation’s author, Rep. Mary Kunesh-Podein, DFL-New Brighton, sits to her left. (Staff photo: Kevin Featherly) Andrea Rau, legislative director for the anti-abortion group MCCL, asserted that her group’s members are strong on women’s rights. “However, equal rights amendments have a history of discriminating against less developed humans—those yet to be born,” she said. Rau cited a recent Pennsylvania lawsuit in which abortion-rights advocates used the state’s ERA to justify a constitutional challenge against a ban on state-financed abortions. “Attempts to invalidate pro-life laws continue based on ERAs,” Rau said. David Schultz, the Hamline University political science professor, said Republicans might have a point. He noted that in 1979, future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg argued that reproductive rights should be guaranteed by the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, rather than a judicially constructed right to privacy. An ERA would raise gender to a protected status equivalent to race, which conceivably could make it a powerful constitutional tool for abortion-rights proponents, Schultz said. “I think that Republicans rightly perceive that’s part of what the agenda is,” he said. Kunesh-Podein, however, told lawmakers that her bill has nothing to do with abortion rights. She declined to accept the Zerwas amendment, she said, to keep it “a clean bill.” In the interview, Kunesh-Podein said the Zerwas amendment, had it passed, would have been fatal to her bill. “We would have had to kill the bill right here because we can’t let that go forward with that amendment on there,” she said. Though it likely won’t stop anything, the Zerwas amendment likely is not dead. “I think there will be robust discussion on the floor about the amendment,” he told committee members on Jan. 24. Senate factor Taken in isolation, of course, little of that matters. House Democrats have a 75-59 majority and can pass pretty much any bill that suits their mood. But House Republican opposition appears to be reflected in the Senate, where it matters a great deal. Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, is chair of the Senate Judiciary committee, through which both of the DFL House bills’ companions would have to pass. In a brief interview on Wednesday afternoon, he said neither bill is scheduled to be heard in his committee. He said he plans to leave it up to Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, to decide whether they should move forward in his committee. But even lacking a Senate hearing and testimony, there already are signals that Senate Republicans share their House counterparts’ concerns. Senate File 200, from Sen. Dick Cohen, DFL-St Paul, is the companion to the Kunesh-Podein bill. It once had three Republican sponsors — Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Vernon Center; Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester; and Sen. Scott Jensen, R-Chaska. All have since had their names stricken from that bill. The same is true for the Moran bill’s Senate companion, Senate File 208 from Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul. It also boasted three GOP co-sponsors. As of Jan. 22, all had their names removed. “That might have been some strong influence from MCCL,” Kunesh-Podein said when asked about the Senate defections. Both bills also have many supporters. At the Jan. 24 Government Operations hearing, for instance, so many supportive testifiers were present that not all could be heard. Lisa Stratton, former University of Minnesota law school instructor and co-founder of the nonprofit Gender Justice, was among them. “This standard would simply place gender equality on the same footing as racial and religious equality,” she testified. She quoted the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who in 2011 said that while the U.S. constitution does not require discrimination against women, neither does it prohibit discrimination. “Enshrining the basic principle of gender equality in the Minnesota Constitution,” she said, “would make it clear that the citizens of this state expect its courts to apply a very high level of scrutiny to laws that create or reinforce gender disparities.” Stratton added: “It would make it clear that such laws have to be justified by a compelling state interest.” More skepticism Abortion is not the only cause for skepticism about the bills. Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, in a Jan. 25 interview, said the ERA is constitutionally superfluous. “The 14th Amendment covers this, period,” he said. “It’s already in law. It’s already in the Constitution.” Mary Jane Morrison, a Minnesota Constitution expert and retired academic, wonders whether a constitutional amendment is the right answer to the problems supporters want solved. Various testifiers suggested that a state ERA would enshrine women’s equality in state law, helping to curb gender wage disparities, lessen the double whammy of racial and gender discrimination faced by women of color and help prevent domestic abuse, among other issues. Morrison said that while all those problems are real and serious, their root causes are not totally clear. Without having a firm grasp on causation, she said, a constitutional amendment may be the wrong remedy — because it is not certain what it would solve. Morrison makes no firm stance against enshrining the ERA into the state constitution. She is just not sure it is the right answer — at least not yet. “If we have already exhausted the non-constitutional efforts to solve the problems, then I am ready for a constitutional clause that has teeth in it — with a department behind it that is charged with enforcement,” Morrison said. However, she added, “My general view is that the constitution needs to be the place of last resort, after we found out that we have no legislative and cultural means of solving the problem.” We are excited to announce the Minnesota ERA bill HF13 (Rep. Kunesh-Podein) passed the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law committee today, Wednesday, February 20th, with a roll call vote of 8-7! Testimony in support of the bill was given by Dr. Ellen Kennedy (World Without Genocide & Mitchell Hamline School of Law) and Representative Kristen Bahner. Additional testimony in support of the bill was given by Kathleen Murphy (Vice President ERA Minnesota) and Brad Lehto (Minnesota AFL-CIO).
To hear the audio file from today's hearing go HERE! Stay tuned! The reason ERAMN fights for the National ERA is because a State ERA will not protect us where there are claims of discrimination by federal agencies, institutions which receive federal funds, or claims against a multi-state private entity.
In cases where a discrimination case is made against a federal agency, an institution which receives federal funds, or a multi-state private entity, cases will either be brought in federal court or have the federal constitution applied in state courts. Also, an ERA victory on the state level with a state ERA will not be precedent for cases in other states. So we work together to achieve both a state ERA & a federal ERA - to make equal legal. Minnesota ERA Working Its Way Through the MN House
St. Paul, MN, February 6, 2019 - The Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment (HF13 Kunesh-Podein) cleared the House State Government Finance committee this morning by a 9-4 roll call vote. The legislation would place the amendment on the statewide ballot in 2020 asking Minnesotans to add the following language “Equality under the law shall not be abridged or denied on account of gender” to the state constitution. “Having these fourteen words on the ballot will give Minnesotans the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to live in a state where all people are protected equally by our state’s legal system.” said M. Kathleen Murphy, Vice-President of ERA Minnesota, who appeared before the committee today. “Now is the time to take the next step towards a more equal Minnesota.” Legislation supporting the amendment has been introduced every year since 1983. This is the first year it has passed out of committee. ERA Minnesota (ERAmn), the organization advocating for the amendment, expects the legislation to pass the House this legislative session. The equal rights amendment is about creating opportunities for everyone regardless of their gender. A few things the Minnesota ERA is intended to do are:
The bill will be heard next in the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law committee. [St. Paul, MN, January 25, 2019] At a historic hearing Thursday, February 24th, the House Government Operations Committee voted to pass out of committee the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) (HF13 authored by Representative Mary Kunesh-Podein) and the Resolution to Congress to remove the deadline on the national ERA (HF71 authored by Representative Rena Moran). This is the first time the ERA has been heard and moved forward in the House since 1983. The state amendment would simply add “Equality under the law shall not be abridged or denied on account of gender” to Minnesota’s Constitution. “Having these thirteen words on the ballot will give Minnesotans the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to live in a state where all people are equal under the law,” said M. Kathleen Murphy, Vice-President of ERA Minnesota and founder of the CAFE Coalition. “Our Constitution is the truest and most lasting statement of our fundamental values, and it is not only fitting but crucial that equality for all be enshrined there. It is only by these means that we can live up to our rhetoric and build the future all of our children deserve,” said Ramsey County Commissioner Trista MatasCastillo during her testimony.  Ramsey County Commissioner Trista MatasCastillo Testifies before the Government Operations Committee To be on the statewide ballot in 2020 the proposed Constitutional amendment needs a simple majority in both the Minnesota House and Senate. Lisa Stratton, a legal expert in gender discrimination, testified that enshrining gender equality in Minnesota’s Constitution would make it clear to the courts that they need to apply the highest level of scrutiny to laws that create or reinforce gender disparities. It would also make clear that such laws must be justified by a compelling state interest and the law under review must be found to be necessary. This standard would place gender equality on the same footing as racial and religious equality. Adding an equal protection clause to the Constitution is another step forward in Minnesota’s long journey towards becoming a place that embraces the diversity and uniqueness of its people. As Jettie Ann Hill, a 26-year state employee and member of the MN Association of Professional Employees (MAPE) said, “Now is the time for Minnesota to begin closing the gap and recognizing the intersection between race and gender by adding the ERA to the state Constitution.” The amendment would have a positive benefit to Minnesota’s economy and help to reduce the pay gap between men and women. Hill continued, “It is well documented that Black, Latino, American Indian, and other women of color in Minnesota face complex economic inequalities, and more training and education does not lead to the same economic payoff as men.” Some of the most powerful testimony was given by MatasCastillo who spoke to her experience as a survivor of sexual assault in the military and to being recognized as the first woman to hold positions traditionally held by men. “I was proud to blaze a trail that others could follow, but if I am honest, I never asked to serve as an exemplar of my gender, but only to serve. They call that a privilege, but it would be a far greater privilege to live in a world where women did not need to prove the worth of their gender to earn the respect given as a matter of course to men.” Pheng Thao, the Statewide Coordinator for Men and Masculine Folks Network, spoke to the amendment’s ability to help change our culture for the better, highlighting the tragic fact that one in three women and girls in Minnesota experience gender violence in their lifetime. Thao went on to say, “We live in a culture where we are still teaching our boys and young men rigid ideas about manhood – dominant, strong-willed, emotionless – and that women and girls are there to serve their needs.”  Pheng Thao, the Statewide Coordinator for Men and Masculine Folks Network testifies before the Government Operations Committee “Minnesota has made a lot of progress towards becoming a place where everyone is welcome. Having the amendment on the ballot allows Minnesotans to take the next step together and say to the world that in Minnesota, everyone matters,” said Heather Allison, President of ERA Minnesota.
Other people testifying in favor of the legislation were Rubén Vázquez, Vice-President of Racial Justice and Public Policy for the YWCA and Debra Fitzpatrick, Co-director of the Center on Women, Gender and Public Policy at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. “I urge this committee, this Legislature, this Governor, this state, to stop talking about how unfair inequality based on sex or gender is and start taking some action. Not only for the sake of my children, but for the sake of our younger generation, I ask you to approve H.F. 13. Let’s truly make this a better One Minnesota!” said Vázquez. “Ongoing pay inequities between men and women in the state are hurting our state and its families. Increasingly Minnesota women are the primary breadwinner in their family and overtime their earnings have become an instrumental part of economic stability for most families. Yet, pay inequities persist in our state at every stage of a women’s career; short-changing them and in many cases children as well” said Fitzpatrick. The bill was referred to the Ways and Means committee and is expected to come to the full House floor for a vote later this session. “We expect the amendment to pass the House this year,” said Allison. “The real question is whether the Senate is going to give Minnesotans the opportunity to decide if everyone in our state should have the same rights.” “Some people make the mistake of thinking the amendment is a political issue related to reproductive rights,” said Murphy, referring to an amendment that was offered and then withdrawn. “It is not. In Minnesota the issue is settled law, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a constitutional ruling in 1995 in Doe vs. Gomez that the state cannot discriminate against a legal service when offering subsidies to pregnancy-related services for low-income women.” The committee also voted unanimously on the second bill, a resolution memorializing Congress to remove the deadline on the federal ERA (HF71) which was then referred to the full House Chamber. Although Minnesota was the twenty-sixth state to ratify the federal ERA in 1973, the overall effort fell short of the 3/4 states necessary to add it to the constitution due to an arbitrary deadline imposed on it. Congress has the power to remove that deadline or to simply extend it. In the past two years two states, Nevada then Illinois, ratified the federal ERA, leaving just one more state needed to reach the necessary 38 states. Virginia is currently close of becoming the 38th and final state needed to ratify the federal ERA amendment with other states closely on its heels vying for that honor. Testifying in favor of the resolution were former Minnesota state legislator and founder of ERA Minnesota Betty Folliard and members of the public, Rosemary Rocco (former Vice President of ERA Minnesota) and Amy Caucutt of Rochester, Minnesota. ERA Minnesota is a coalition of thousands of activists and organizations from every corner of the state dedicated to embedding an Equal Rights Amendment into our state and national constitutions to ensure that all citizens are protected from discrimination on the basis of gender. PRESS Release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 24, 2019
Contact: Heather Allison (651) 214-1702 heather@eramn.org Betty Folliard (612) 868-3511 betty.folliard@gmail.com The ERA is in the House ST PAUL, MINN – ERA Minnesota (ERA MN www.eramn.org) is thrilled to announce that for the first time in decades the Minnesota House will hold hearings on Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) bills today -- January 24th, 2019 before the Government Operations Committee, SOB Room 10 at 9:45 AM. There are two ERA bills to be heard in the Government Operations Committee that day: first (HF13), a Minnesota State ERA amendment to the state constitution bill chief-authored by Representative Mary Kunesh-Podein; and second (HF71), is a Resolution to Congress to remove the deadline on the federal ERA chief-authored by Representative Rena Moran. Both bills have companion bills introduced today in the Senate: the MN State ERA SF200 (Cohen) and the ERA Resolution to Congress SF208 (Pappas). HF13/SF200 -- the constitutional amendment -- would provide for gender equality under the law and proposes a constitutional amendment that, if passed by both bodies of the Minnesota Legislature, would be added to the ballot in the 2020 general election for the voters to decide on the outcome. 2020 has special significance because it coincides with the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage – the year women achieved the right to vote. “This state ERA is long overdue,” says Heather Allison, President of ERAMN. “25 states already have passed ERA’s into their state constitutions – the oldest having been written over 140 years ago.” HF71/SF208 is a resolution memorializing Congress to remove the “June 30th 1982” deadline so that once the 38th state ratifies the ERA it can be ratified into the U.S. Constitution. “95% of Minnesotans believe everyone should have equal rights,” said Betty Folliard, Founder of ERAMN. “We’re grateful to the Legislature for this opportunity to make equal legal.” ERA Minnesota is a coalition of thousands of activists and organizations from every corner of the state dedicated to embedding an Equal Rights Amendment into our state and national constitutions to ensure that all citizens are protected from discrimination on the basis of sex. “Pay inequity, workplace gender discrimination, domestic violence, rape & campus sexual assault, female poverty, pregnancy discrimination, and laws that unjustly affect men will all be helped by an ERA;” says M. Kathleen Murphy, VP of ERAMN & Founder of CAFE Coalition; “that’s why the ERA is so badly needed.” ERA Minnesota is a coalition of thousands of activists and organizations from every corner of the state dedicated to embedding an Equal Rights Amendment into our state and national constitutions to ensure that all citizens are protected from discrimination on the basis of sex. PRESS ADVISORY: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 18, 2019 Contact: Heather Allison (651) 214-1702, Heather@eramn.org Betty Folliard (612) 868-3511, betty.folliard@gmail.com Brand New Day for the ERA ST PAUL, MINN – ERA Minnesota (ERAMN www.eramn.org) is thrilled to announce that for the first time in decades the Minnesota House will hold hearings on Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) bills next Thursday January 24th, 2019 in the State Office Building, basement-Room 10 at 9:45 a.m. There are two ERA bills to be heard in the Government Operations & Veterans Affairs Committee that day: first (HF13), a Minnesota State ERA amendment to the state constitution bill chief-authored by Representative Mary Kunesh-Podein; and second (HF71), is a Resolution to Congress to remove the deadline on the federal ERA chief-authored by Representative Rena Moran. Both bills have companion bills introduced today in the Senate: the MN State ERA SF200 (Cohen) and the ERA Resolution to Congress SF208 (Pappas). HF13/SF200 provides for gender equality under the law and proposes a constitutiona amendment that, if passed by both bodies of the Minnesota Legislature, would be added to the ballot in the 2020 general election for the voters to decide on the outcome. 2020 has special significance because it coincides with the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage – the year women achieved the right to vote. “This state ERA is long overdue, says Heather Allison, President of ERAMN. “25 states already have passed ERA’s into their state constitutions – the oldest having been written over 140 years ago.” HF71/SF208 is a resolution memorializing Congress to remove the “June 30th, 1982” deadline so that once the 38th state ratifies the ERA it can be ratified into the U.S. Constitution. “95% of Minnesotans believe everyone should have equal rights,” said Betty Folliard, Founder of ERAMN. “We’re grateful to the Legislature for this opportunity to make equal legal.” ERA Minnesota is a coalition of thousands of activists and organizations from every corner of the state dedicated to embedding an Equal Rights Amendment into our state and national constitutions to ensure that all citizens are protected from discrimination on the basis of sex. This organization is a sponsor of Women’s March Minnesota's (www.womensmarchmn.com) “Unstoppable” Rally & March this Saturday. The Equal Rights Amendment is part of Women’s March’s Unity Principles. “Pay inequity, gender discrimination in the workplace, gender violence including domestic violence and sexual assault, and, primarily, gender fairness in our court system are the main reasons why the state ERA is still necessary.” says M. Kathleen Murphy, VP of ERAMN & Founder of the MN CAFE Coalition. ##### ERA Bill Numbers: HF13/SF200; and HF71/SF208. For more information, go to www.eramn.org |
AuthorERA Minnesota (ERAMN) is a coalition of individuals and organizations working to secure an Equal Rights Amendment to the State and Federal Constitutions. Archives
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