by Carrie N. Baker for Ms. Magazine In an opinion issued on Wednesday, Jan. 26, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) helped clear the way for the Equal Rights Amendment, according to leading ERA advocates. In January of 2020, under Trump, the OLC issued an opinion arguing that Congress had no power to remove a […]
ERA Coalition and Partners to Rally at White House, Host Virtual Press Conference Marking Date Equal Rights Amendment Must Be In Effect
Sen. Cardin, Chairwoman Maloney, Congresswoman Speier To Speak at Press Conference Washington, D.C. –– After nearly a century of work, Thursday, January 27 marks the end of the two-year waiting period for the Equal Rights Amendment to go into effect across the country after meeting all of the constitutional requirements. To commemorate the day, the ERA […]
House Oversight and Reform Committee Holds Historic Hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment
On Thursday, the House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing about the Equal Rights Amendment. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who chairs the Oversight Committee, started the hearing by stating that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has met all requirements for the adoption of a United States Constitutional Amendment. It was ratified by 2/3 of both […]
Fifty Years After Passage, the Equal Rights Amendment Is More Important Than Ever
This is an opinion piece written by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, published originally on Ms. online. Imagine for a moment that the Equal Rights Amendment had become part of the U.S. Constitution soon after Congress in 1972 sent it to the states for ratification. Many heartbreaking events would have been prevented, for both women and men. […]
15,000 ERA Supporters Urge Sen. Kyrsten Sinema to End the Filibuster
This piece was written by Aviva Dove-Viebahn for Ms. magazine. In the sweltering heat of a midday desert sun, a delegation of women’s rights activists and leaders gathered in front of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s Phoenix field office. Their goal? To deliver thousands of letters, postcards and petitions from Arizona and across the country imploring the senator to align […]
Virginia, Nevada, and Illinois Will Appeal Ruling on ERA
On Monday, Virginia, Nevada, and Illinois filed notice that they will appeal a federal judge’s ruling that the states’ votes to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment were too late. Virginia led the appeal, with the other states joining. “Throughout the years, efforts to have the Equal Rights Amendment added to the Constitution have met with […]
House Votes to Remove Arbitrary Timeline on the ERA and Reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act
Today, the House of Representatives voted 222-204 to remove the arbitrary timeline on the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. “Today the United States House of Representatives voted that there is no time limit on equality,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation. “Now it’s up to the Senate to agree and clear […]
The Feminist Majority Joins The ERA Coalition in Urging Biden-Harris Administration to Prioritize Enshrining the ERA into the US Constitution
The Feminist Majority has signed on to a letter sent by The ERA Coalition to the Biden-Harris administration calling for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to finally be enshrined in the U.S. Constitution within the first 100 days of the Biden presidency. President Biden and Vice President Harris are both strong supporters of the ERA. […]
Senators and Members of Congress Reintroduce Joint Resolution to Remove Timeline on the Equal Rights Amendment
Today, Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY), along with 195 cosponsors, reintroduced the House Joint Resolution to remove the arbitrary deadline for ratification from the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)’s preamble. Its companion joint resolution was introduced in the Senate today by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Representative Jackie […]
Speaker Pelosi Holds Press Conference In Support of House ERA Vote Tomorrow
This morning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Jackie Speier, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, and a host of other members of Congress held a press conference ahead of tomorrow’s vote on H.J.Res. 79 to remove the arbitrary timeline put in the preamble to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Carol Jenkins spoke for the ERA Coalition as leaders […]
Virginia Becomes the 38th State to Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
The United States has never been closer to officially creating an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the U.S. Constitution. On Tuesday, January 14, a Virginia statehouse committee approved a measure to “bring the amendment to a full vote” which was voted upon by the Virginia House of Delegates and state Senate on Wednesday, January 15. […]
New FX Series Follows the Movement that Birthed the Equal Rights Amendment
A new FX series starring Rose Byrne as feminist leader Gloria Steinem and Cate Blanchett as antifeminist Phyllis Schlafly will premiere in April. The series, called Mrs. America, will center on the fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 1970s at the height of the women’s liberation movement. Conservative lawyer Phyllis Schlafly […]
Congressional Democrats Eye Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment After Virginia Elections
House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat from New York, announced Friday that the House Judiciary Committee would be marking up a bill eliminating the deadline for states to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which was one state short of the 38 needed for ratification when the deadline passed in 1982. The markup of […]
Virginia Governor Calls Special Session on Guns
Tuesday, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam called a special session on guns in response to the May 31 Virginia Beach shooting; however, Republicans adjourned the legislature until November after 90 minutes in session. The Governor hoped to pass bills on gun control to prevent further mass shootings in a state with some of the weakest gun […]
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Supreme Court Upholds Virginia Redistricting
On Monday, June 17th, the Supreme Court decided to uphold district re-drawings in spite of republican’s challenge to reverse racially gerrymandered districts. Written by Justice Ginsburg, majority 5-4 decision states Virginia preferred to “stop than fight on,” illuminating that they are ready for an election with these already redrawn districts. These districts were originally drawn […]
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Equal Rights Amendment Introduced to Louisiana State Senate
Today the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution was introduced in the Louisiana Senate by Louisiana State Senator Jean-Paul Morrell. It has been 47 years since the Louisiana Senate has voted in favor of ratifying women’s equality into the U.S. Constitution. HCR2 was also introduced in the Louisiana State House by Representative Robert […]
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ERA Introduced in Missouri State Senate
Last week, Missouri State Senator Jill Schupp introduced the Equal Rights Amendment into the state senate for ratification. Senator Schupp faces a tough battle in the Missouri State Senate after the Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz announced that he would oppose the legislation. Missouri’s Senate is composed of 24 Republicans and 10 Democrats and […]
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Happy International Women’s Day!
Today is International Women’s Day, but while we celebrate the achievement of women throughout the world, we must also be aware of the injustices that still exist in the United States that prevent gender equality. The U.S. is currently one of six U.N. member states, Pacific island nations of Tonga and Palua, Iran, Somalia, South […]
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Virginia ERA Advocates Rally In Support of Rule Change
On Thursday, prior to first readings of the rule changes set forth by Virginia Delegate Hala Ayala (D-Prince William) and Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah), a rally in support of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was held on the steps of Virginia’s Capitol. Advocates heard from local and national speakers on the importance of the ERA, […]
Congress Leads Renewed Fight For the ERA
On Tuesday, Congresswomen Jackie Speier (D-Ca.) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) hosted a press conference at the U.S. Capitol to announce the introduction of legislation in support of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). They were joined by activists and organizations spearheading the movement such as the Feminist Majority, the National Organization for Women, the National Women’s […]
