THE ERA CAMPAIGNER

Issue #27, April 2, 2008

The E-mail Newsletter of the ERA Campaign Network

We are a nationwide advocacy, mentoring, and communications network connecting organizations, groups and individuals working to complete the ratification and addition to the US Constitution of the Equal Rights Amendment: "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 amendment, once achieved, will finally guarantee to the women of America the fully equal rights that should have been their birthright many years ago.

UPDATES ON THE ERA FRONT

in the unratified states,
in Congress,
and in the presidential election process

Things have appeared relatively quiet on the ERA front over the past few months. However, despite the many other extremely urgent issues that face the nation and its citizens at this time, enthusiastic ERA advocates are MAKING PROGRESS toward finally achieving the ERA.

IN THE NOT-YET RATIFIED STATES, THE "3-STATE" STRATEGY:

With only three additional state ratifications of the Equal Rights Amendment needed to achieve the required 38 (three-fourths of the 50 states), there is recent promising progress toward ratification in FOUR of the not-yet-ratified states:

ILLINOIS: The ERA ratification bill, HJRCA0002, was recently passed by the Illinois House Judiciary Committee, by a commanding 8-3 vote. It is now on the floor of the House and awaiting a vote: Prospects look promising for passage! If and when it passes, the bill (HJRCA0002), will go to the Senate, where it will be assigned to a committee. ERA activists in Illinois are working hard to ensure passage in the House, and to build support in the Senate. To help, contact Emily Battin, e-mail emily1@consolidated.net, telephone 217-229-3754.

FLORIDA: On April 1 (2008), as this newsletter was being prepared for distribution, Sandy J. Oestreich, head of the Florida Equal Rights Alliance, reported that she and other ERA enthusiasts (plus one anti-equal rights adherent) spoke at the ERA ratification hearings being held by the Florida Legislature Senate Judiciary Committee. The good news: a resounding 8-3 vote for ERA ratification. The next step will probably be either to assign the bill to another committee for consideration, or to release it directly to the floor of the Senate. Meanwhile, substantial progress is being made in lining up more co-sponsors and supporters of the ratification bill among members of the Florida House and Senate, which continues in session in Tallahassee. For up-to-date developments and tips as to how to help, visit www.ratifyeraflorida.net or contact Sandy Oestreich, e-mail sandyjoestreich@cs.com, telephone 727-393-0932.

ARKANSAS: This state came very close to ratifying the ERA in 2007. Arkansas ERA, headed by Berta Seitz, is meeting with each new legislative candidate to give them information on the ERA, answer their questions, and ask them for a commitment of support. They have asked for, and received, enthusiastic support for ERA ratification by the Chair of the Arkansas Democratic Party. They also plan to meet with Arkansas Governor Beebe and the speakers of the house and senate, to seek their support as well. To help, contact Berta Seitz, e-mail berta.seitz@att.net, telephone 479-442-6256.

MISSOURI: About thirty women and men wearing ERA pins were in Missouri's Capitol on March 11 (2008), talking with the state senate sponsor of the ERA, and lobbying to increase support for the ERA ratification bill, now in committee. Their actions brought fine local press and TV coverage, all of which of course is helpful to the cause. While the ERA ratification bill is not expected to have sufficient votes to pass in the current legislature, vigorous efforts continue, through Missouri ERA's Political Action Committee, to elect additional pro-ERA legislators this fall. Missouri residents who would like to help can contact Missouri ERA's Mary Mosley, e-mail mmosley@tranquility.net, telephone 573-642-6354.

NOTE: If and when the first of the above four states successfully ratifies the ERA, it will undoubtedly add substantial energy to ratification drives in the other three. It will also serve to energize ERA activism in the remaining not-yet ratified states: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia.

CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE 3-STATE STRATEGY:

New Jersey Rep. Rob Andrew's H.Res.757 proposes a congressional resolution, "Requiring the House of Representatives to take any legislative action necessary to verify the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment as part of the Constitution when the legislatures of an additional three States ratify the Equal Rights Amendment." The bill now has 5 co-sponsors: Rick Boucher (VA), Steve Cohen (TN), Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX), Carolyn Maloney (NY), and Linda Sanchez (CA). To help, ERA supporters can contact their representatives and urge them to co-sponsor the bill.

THE "START-OVER" STRATEGY IN CONGRESS:

This strategy starts the amending process over, rather than relying on the 3-state strategy being able to overcome possible legal challenges by forces opposing equal rights for women.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chief House sponsor of the ERA (which she renamed the Women's Equality Amendment), H.J.Res.40, in the House of Representatives, has gathered 202 co-sponsors thus far. When she reintroduced the ERA at a rousing jam-packed meeting on Capitol Hill on March 27, 2007, the head of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. John Conyers, pledged to initiate hearings on the ERA as soon as possible: Such hearings would be the first step preceding a Judiciary Committee vote that, if successful, would result in the resolution going to the floor of the House for a vote. Unfortunately, however, due to many other issues the committee has had to deal with, the long-awaited ERA hearings have been repeatedly postponed. It is not yet known whether ERA hearings will be scheduled before the current 110th Congress steps down at the end of this year (2008).

What you can do to help: Go to http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HJ00040:@@@P for a list of the names and congressional districts of the 202 members of the House who are now cosponsors of H.J.Res.40. If your representative is a cosponsor, contact her/him with your thanks. If she/he is NOT a co-sponsor, contact and ask her/him to become a cosponsor in order to support full constitutionally-guaranteed equal rights that at least half of their constituents, women, are now denied. Make it clear that you plan to vote in November, and that you consider her/his co-sponsorship an important factor in whom you decide to vote for!

IN THE SENATE:

Sen. Edward Kennedy is chief sponsor of the equivalent ERA resolution in the SENATE, S.J. Res. 10, which currently has 24 cosponsors. To help: As with the House representatives, contact your senators who are current cosponsors of S.J.Res.10, and thank them for their support, on behalf of all their female constituents. If they are NOT cosponsors, urge them to sign on. (Go to http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SJ00010:@@@P for the list.)

If either of your senators is up for re-election in November, you can, similarly, make it clear that her/his co-sponsorship will be important in your voting decision.

IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PROCESS:

You, as evidenced by your choice to receive and read The ERA Campaigner, would surely want to have our next US president support and encourage adding the ERA to our Constitution. While the president has no formal constitutional role to play in amending the Constitution (she/he does not "sign" it nor have the power to veto it), she or he can of course play a major role in supporting and encouraging both ERA passage by Congress and ratification by the states.

As a voter, you will surely consider support for the ERA a factor in your choice of whom to vote for. Since all three remaining candidates are members of the Senate, it is appropriate for us to let you know that both Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are co-sponsors of the Equal Rights Amendment Senate Resolution (S.J.Res. 10); Sen. John McCain is not. Stay tuned for more facts on the candidates' views and actions with regard to full equality for the nation's female citizens.

The presidential nominees will also be instrumental in determining whether the ERA is endorsed in their official party platforms that will be formally adopted at the nominating conventions this summer. Note: national platform committees are usually made up of one representative from each state. How you can help: Contact your party's state committee to obtain the name and contact information of their representative, and contact and urge her/him to ensure that equal rights for women, including strong and explicit support for the ERA, is included in the party's platform. There is no excuse for a major political party NOT to support fully equal rights for all citizens without regard to whether they are male or female - and achievement of the ERA deserves, and will require, the support of both Democrats and Republicans.

TID-BITS:

• California Rep. Joe Baca is chief sponsor of another bill of special interest to ERA supporters: HR406. Its purpose is to award a posthumous Congressional Gold Star to the great Alice Paul, who was enormously instrumental in achieving women's suffrage in 1920, and who then authored and worked tirelessly for the ERA for the rest of her life. This bill already has 205 cosponsors, and will be moved out of committee and onto the floor of the House when it reaches 290 cosponsors. This bill well deserves the support of every ERA enthusiast on its merits - and also because its passage would bring favorable attention to the ERA issue.

• Congratulations to Laura Callow, an ERA campaigner since 1968 who continues very active with Michigan ERAmerica. On April 3 (2008), she will receive the Susan B. Anthony Award at a special 30th Annual Susan B. Anthony Awards Dinner and Program of the University of Michigan Dearborn Commission for Women.

• Heard at the National Council of Women's Organizations Women's Equality Summit in WashingtonDC on March 10: "If we're not at the table, we're on the menu."
 

The Equal Rights Amendment: Simple Justice. It's Time!