THREE STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL FILE LAWSUIT
On Thursday, January 30th, the ERA Coalition's Co-President and CEO Carol Jenkins joined Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring in Washington, D.C., at a press conference to announce landmark civil rights litigation in support of the Equal Rights Amendment.
The lawsuit, filed jointly by Herring, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, names David S. Ferriero, in his official capacity as Archivist of the United States as the defendant. The lawsuit seeks to force Ferriero to recognize Virginia's vote this week to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and certify the measure as part of the Constitution. As the 38th, and final, state necessary for Equal Rights Amendment to ratify to the U.S. Constitution.
It is deeply significant that the Attorneys General of these three states have joined in this lawsuit. Each of these three states ratified the Equal Rights Amendment in recent years, helping to revive this vital legislation and bring renewed focus to the fight to legal and lasting gender equality in the United States. In 2017, Nevada became the 36th state to ratify, and the first to do so since the original deadline expired on June 30, 1982. Nevada was soon followed by Illinois (37th) in 2018, and this week Virginia made history by becoming the 38th state to officially ratify the ERA.
You can read the official statement release by A.G. Herring's office HERE .
You can read the lawsuit HERE.
“Now, Congress must do its part to get it over the finish line.”
In a joint statement released on January 28, 2020, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released the following statement in response to Virginia’s ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment on January 27, 2020.
The statement, below, can be found online HERE.
“With Virginia’s historic ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, the state officially becomes the 38th and final state required to make the ERA part of the U.S. Constitution. This decades-long effort is now one step closer to victory and proving that there is no time limit on equality.
“We urge the Archivist to complete the ERA’s certification. Virginia has now passed the baton, so now Congress must do its part to get it over the finish line. We are pleased that in February the House of Representatives will take up legislation to remove any legal ambiguities with the arbitrary ratification deadline set decades ago. Soon thereafter we hope the Senate will take up our bipartisan legislation, S.J. Res. 6, to do the same and enshrine the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex into our Constitution once and for all.”
FLOOR VOTE COMING FOR H.J. RES 79
With the amazing energy following Virginia's official ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, we are turning our full attention to the efforts in Congress to remove the original deadline assigned to the ERA.
Last week, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced that the U.S. House of Representatives plans to bring HJ Res 79, the bill to remove the deadline from the ERA, for a vote during the week of February 10th.
The fact that this vote is happening is a testament to the decades of hard work done by the fearless ERA leaders in the legislature - Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), the lead sponsor of the bill, and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), a longtime ERA champion, the members of their staff and the countless citizens who have show their support for this legislation.
We will continue to monitor this historic vote, and share updates with you.
UPDATES ON THE RESOLUTIONS IN CONGRESS
H.J. Res 79: Co-Sponsors = 224 (same as last week). View the full resolution HERE.
S.J. Res 6: Co-Sponsors = 41 (same as last week). View the full resolution HERE.
BILLS IN CONGRESS TO REMOVE THE DEADLINE
The ERA Coalition and the Alice Paul Institute are increasing their efforts to advance S.J. Res 6 , which will remove the deadline associated with the Equal Rights Amendment. We urgently encourage you contact the Senators listed below, and your Senator to request their support for the bill.
To see if your Senator has signed on as a co-sponsor, click HERE .
Note: This list was updated 1/24/2020.
CALL TO ACTION
The ERA Coalition is asking for our support to increase pressure on U.S. Senators to advance SJ Res 6 , the legislation that will remove the original deadline from the ERA. Introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), more co-sponsors are needed to advance the bill.
The following Senators have been selected for focused attention. If you are in these states, please call and email the office contacts (info below). Please also share with your friends, family, and colleagues who live in these states so they can also advocate for their Senators to sign onto the bill as co-sponsors.
ALASKA:
Sen. Dan Sulllivan (R)
(202) 224-3004
David Pigue, david_pigue@sullivan.senate.gov
ARIZONA:
Sen. Martha McSally (R)
(202) 224-2235
Pace McMullan, pace_mcmullan@mcsally.senate.gov
COLORADO:
Sen. Cory Gardner (R)
(202) 224-5941
Brian Wanamaker, brian_wanamaker@gardner.senate.gov
DELAWARE:
Sen. Thomas Carper (D)
(202) 224-2441
Michael Santora, michael_santora@carper.senate.gov
DELAWARE:
Sen. Christopher Coons (D)
(202) 224-5042
Erica Songer, erica_songer@coons.senate.gov
IOWA:
Sen. Joni Ernst (R)
(202) 224-3254
Corey Becker, corey_becker@ernst.senate.gov
OHIO:
Sen. Rob Portman (R)
(202) 224-3353
Megan Harrington , megan_harrington@portman.senate.gov
MONTANA:
Sen. Jon Tester (D)
(202) 224-2644
Laura Peterson, laura_peterson@tester.senate.gov
NEW MEXICO:
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D)
(202) 224-5521
Simon Boyce, simon_boyce@heinrich.senate.gov
VERMONT:
Sen. Patrick Lehy (D)
(202) 224-4242
David Pendle, david_pendle@leahy.senate.gov
WASHINGTON:
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D)
(202)-224-0514
Jonathan Hale, jonathan_hale@cantwell.senate.gov
WEST VIRGINIA:
Sen. Joe Manchin (D)
(202) 224-3954
Kevin Carson, kevin_carson@manchin.senate.gov
WISCONSIN:
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D)
(202)-224-5653
Brian Moulton, brian_moulton@baldwin.senate.gov
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Jan. 27 Virginia reaches long-awaited milestone by ratifying Equal Rights Amendment, but legal fight looms , CNN International
NATIONAL NEWS
Jan. 27 Virginia finalizes passage of Equal Rights Amendment , The Hill
Jan. 28 Virginia Finalizes Equal Rights Amendment Ratification , Bloomberg Law
STATE NEWS
ALASKA
Jan. 25 'A multigenerational battle', Kenai Peninsula Online
Jan. 26 Women's March supports new constitutional amendment , Cordova Times
ARIZONA
Jan. 24 Arizona can do right thing, become 39th state to ratify ERA, Arizona Capitol Times
CALIFORNIA
Jan. 28 Virginia reaches long-awaited milestone by ratifying Equal Rights Amendment, but legal fight looms, KABC
FLORIDA
Jan. 26 Members of the Tallahassee community gather at the Capitol for the anniversary of the Women's March, Florida Flambeau
IDAHO
Jan. 23 Equal Rights Amendment introduced to the House , LocalNews8.com
Jan. 23 Ybarro asks Idaho budget writers for $40 million for teacher pay raises , Idaho News
Jan. 26 Mascots, taxes, abortion bills introduced on 'personal bill' deadline , Idaho Press-Tribune
INDIANA
Jan. 28 US Archives confirms it won't take steps to certify ERA , Brown County Democrat
IOWA
Jan. 25 Waterloo march commemorates 100 years of women voting , Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
Jan. 27 ' Remember the Ladies': 'The Path to Suffrage' exhibit explores struggle to pass 19th amendment , Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
MASSACHUSETTS
Jan. 29 With Virginia's final ratification, ERA fight advances , Lowell Sun
MICHIGAN
Jan. 26 Virginia approved the ERA. Now what's the holdup? , Michigan Advance
MISSOURI
Jan. 24 Randolph County's woman of justice , Moberly Monitor Index
NEW YORK
Jan. 28 Our World in Photos: Jan, 28 , Brooklyn Daily Eagle
NORTH CAROLINA
Jan. 24 Progress for women made Equal Rights Amendment moot , The Wilson Times
Jan. 26 "I want a better world for my child." Youth lead the way in 2020 Raleigh Women's Marc h, Raleigh News & Observer
Jan. 26 National politics takes center stage at Raleigh Women's March , The Daily Tar Heel
PENNSYLVANIA
Jan. 23 "We the People" have the power to change history , The Bucknellian
Jan. 26 Lesson learned? , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Jan. 27 Alice Paul- a force of nature , Lock Haven Express
UTAH
Jan. 25 ' Here we are, resisting and persisting"; Dozens participate in 4th annual St. George's Women's March , St. George News
Jan. 26 The 2020 legislative session is gearing up to be a busy one. Here's what's in store , Deseret News
Jan. 28 Utahns kick off 2020 legislative session with rally for Equal Rights Amendment , KJZZ
VIRGINIA
Jan. 23 Editorial: Will Virginia finally mandate equal schools? , Roanoke Times
Jan. 24 Loundon to Host National Association of Commissions for Women Conference , Loundon Now
Jan. 24 ' Red flag' gun las, other gun bills advance in Virginia House , WSET
Jan. 27 Virginia government leaders praise passage of Equal Rights Amendment , WSET
Jan. 27 V irginia official ratifies Equal Rights Amendment, WHSV
Jan. 27 Virginia becomes 38th state to ratify ERA , CBS19
Jan. 28 Virginia ratified the ERA, but its Constitutional potential is unclear , WHSV
WASHINGTON
Jan. 24 Opinion: Time for a new look at the Equal Rights Amendment, Yakima Herald-Republic
Jan. 27 With Virginia's Ratification, Equal Rights Amendment advances , The Columbian
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Jan. 27 Virginia Lawmakers to Give Final Approval of Equal Rights Amendment, WAMU 88.5
Jan. 27 W ith Virginia's final ratification, Equal Rights Amendment fight advances, WUSA9
Jan. 27 Virginia becomes 38th state to ratify Equal Rights Amendment--but it may be too late , WTOP
Jan. 28 Meet the Virginia Lawmaker Who Got the Equal Rights Amendment Tattooed on her Arm , WAMU 88.5
WEST VIRGINIA
Jan. 28 Virginia becomes 38th state to ratify Equal Rights Amendment , WVNS-TV
WISCONSIN
Jan. 26 Virginia Ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment , Wisconsin Gazette
OPPOSITION
Jan. 24 Progress for women made Equal Rights Amendment moot , The Wilson Times
Jan. 24 Open Forum: Why the ERA...now? , The Winchester Star
Jan. 26 Our View: A quandary for women's sports, The Ledger
