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August 2009

Women's Equality Day is August 26, 2009

This day was established by an act of Congress in recognition of the day the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified and to honor those women who continue to fight for women's equality. Each year organizations around the country hold events and programs celebrating the day. Below is a sample of these events by state. Please check local media for events in your area.

California

California

Connecticut

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

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July 2009

The re-introduction of the Equal Rights Amendment on July 21 by co-sponsors representing both political parties was seen as a potential turning point by ERA advocates. "The fact that a Republican member of Congress is co-sponsoring the resolution to ratify the ERA is significant," said Idella Moore of 4ERA.org. "We have worked tirelessly over the last few years to promote the ERA as a non-partisan measure. We have succeeded in some of our state campaigns where we've had members of both parties support state resolutions. However, at the Federal level, we have been hoping the Republican party, which was the first party to add the ERA to it's platform back in 1940, would come back onboard. Today, we are thrilled to see Judy Biggert (R-IL) co-sponsoring the ERA resolution in the House. We hope her sponsorship will encourage other Republican members of Congress to do likewise."

Press release: Reps. Maloney, Biggert reintroduce Equal Rights Amendment

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On July 21, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) will re-introduce a resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Maloney has been the primary sponsor of the ERA resolution for a number of years. She is usually joined by Senator Ted Kennedy, who is the chief sponsor in the Senate. Due to illness, Senator Kennedy has not yet proposed the resolution in the Senate.

Members of organizations who support passage of the ERA will gather at the House Triangle (on the Capitol side of Independence Avenue across from the Rayburn building) between 10:00am and 1:00pm to hear Maloney speak.

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March 2009

Assemblywoman Kathy McClain and 18 other members of the Nevada Assembly introduced a joint resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment on March 9, 2009. Senators co-sponsoring the resolution are Parks, Carlton, Copening, Breeden, Horsford, Wierner and Woodhouse.

AJR 3 was assigned to the committee on Elections, Procedures, Ethics, and Constitutional Amendments. We are awaiting information on a hearing date for the resolution.

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February 2009

Phyllis Schlafly Hospitalized

February 25, 2009

Phyllis Schlafly, long time opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment and founder of Eagle Forum, fell and broke her hip yesterday. A group of about 150 Berkeley, California students witnessed Schlafly fall as she was leaving the stage after delivering a speech. According to one report, she was hospitalized and operated on in California. The 85-year-old Schlafly is often credited as having single-handedly defeated the Equal Rights Amendment during the ERA ratification efforts of the 1970s. She was the leader and spokeswoman of STOP ERA. She continues to work against the new efforts to rafity the ERA and in 2007 spoke at a committee hearing in the Arkansas legislature against adoption of an ERA ratification resolution which the committee was considering.

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January 2009

ERA Resolutions Filed in Arkansas

State Sen. Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville, filed Senate Joint Resolution 12 on February 23, 2009. The measure would add Arkansas to the list of 35 states that have ratified the ERA since it was passed by Congress in 1972.

The resolution has 18 Senate co-sponsors, including Madison. The Senate resolution has enough co-sponsors to ensure its passage in that chamber.

A concurrent resolution by State Rep. Lindsley Smith, D-Fayetteville, has 43 co-sponsors. It will need support from 51 representatives if it is to pass in the House. Smith sponsored a similar resolution during the 2007 legislative session. A House committee vote resulted in a tie and no further progress was made during that session.

Later that year a poll of Arkansans showed 73% of the public in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment. The Arkansas legislature meets every two years, so this is the first time since the poll that the measure will be voted upon.

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June 2008

Remembering Elly

Elly Peterson, an ERA advocate and the first woman to serve as Michigan GOP chairwoman and vice chair of the Republican National Committee, died June 9, 2008 at 94. She is remembered as warm, hardworking and dynamic - a woman who pursued decency in politics.

I met Elly for the first time in April 1976 at the Governor's Mansion in Lansing, MI. At Elly's request, First Lady Helen Milliken convened a meeting of ERA supporters that included the presidents of women's organizations, representatives of labor and both political parties. The purpose was to organize a coalition that would present a united front to the legislature and the media in order to counter Stop-ERA.

Michigan was among the first states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in May 1972. Early in 1976, Stop-ERA introduced a bill to rescind Michigan's ratification. When the bill failed in the Michigan House, members of Stop-ERA attacked the legislators with their umbrellas.

At the time, Elly Peterson was serving as Republican Co-Chairwoman of ERAmerica along with her Democratic counterpart, Liz Carpenter. ERAmerica was a national coalition formed for the sole purpose of advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment.

Although the rescission attempt failed, Elly believed that the many pro-ERA organizations in Michigan needed to coalesce in order to speak with one voice. Thus Michigan ERAmerica was formed. Helen Milliken and U.S Representative Martha Griffiths became the Honorary Republican and Democratic Co-Chairs. Formation of Michigan ERAmerica proved to be a wise decision because there were two additional rescission attempts which the coalition successfully thwarted.

Elly remained a moderate as her party became more conservative. She rebelled against the 1980 Republican national platform when support for the Equal Rights Amendment was dropped. She was very disappointed because the GOP was the first national party to put the ERA in its platform in 1940. As part of the protest, ERA supporters at the Republican national convention in Detroit wore their GOP elephant pins upside down.

Campaign records show that Elly contributed to Hillary Clinton's campaign earlier this year. Elly Peterson was a women's rights advocate who represented politics at its best. She will be missed.

Laura Callow, past Chair Michigan ERAmerica

April 2008

On April 1, 2008, the Florida Senate Judiciary Committee passed a resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. The vote of 8 to 3 means the resolution now moves to the Senate Rules Committee. There has yet to be action on the concurrent resolution in the Florida House.

October 2007

Arkansans support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment

In a just released poll, 73 percent of Arkansas voters want Arkansas to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. The annual poll was conducted by Dr. Janine Parry and Dr. Bill Schreckhise, professors of Political Science at the University of Arkansas. Their question about the Equal Rights Amendment was added to this year's poll because of the current campaign to have Arkansas ratify the ERA. This is great news for 4ERA members and ERA supporters in Arkansas. They plan to reintroduce an ERA ratification resolution during the next legislative session in 2009.

Last spring, Governor Mike Beebe came out in support of ERA ratification as did all of Arkansas' constitutional officers. A resolution to ratify the ERA was introduced into the state legislature by Rep. Lindsley Smith, but received a tie vote in a legislative committee and therefore was not sent to be voted on by the full legislature.

Read more

Read poll

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Allie Hixson Dies

Allie Corbin Hixson, a former Louisville resident who took up the cause of women's rights at the age of 50 and dedicated much of her final three decades to attaining equality for women, died Tuesday in Minneapolis. She was 83.

Hixson delivered the opening speech before thousands at a 1977 rally in Washington, D.C., commemorating the 57th anniversary of women's right to vote.

"We will make it in our time," she told them. "We will become first-class citizens, every woman in the USA. … For my entire lifetime, women have begged and pleaded and argued and reasoned -- and some have died without seeing passage" of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment, she said.

Marsha Weinstein, a former executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Women, said the proposed amendment "was a passion" in Hixson's life.

"She was the feminist extraordinaire," Weinstein said yesterday. "She truly was one of our foremothers for contemporary feminism. … She was intense."

Hixson was a key coordinator of Kentucky's International Women's Year meeting in Lexington in 1977 and a state delegate to the national conference later that year in Houston. Hixson was co-chairwoman of the Kentucky Pro-ERA Alliance, formed in 1975 to keep the General Assembly from rescinding its ratification of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment. She recently was inducted into the "Kentucky Women Remembered" hall of fame at the state capitol.

May 2007

Louisiana ERA Resolution Narrowly Defeated in Committee

On May 15, Louisiana state representative Marcia Walker's resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment was heard by the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure. During the hearing debate was heated as proponents countered the arguments offered by the opposition. In a 5-4 vote the committee decided not to send the resolution to the House of Representatives for a full vote.

Read the full story from the Louisiana Advocate.

April 2007

Arkansas ERA Resolution Update

April 1, 2007

On February 7 a tie vote in the AR State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee left the ERA resolution (HRC 1002) in a deferred status. Over the next few weeks, Rep. Lindsley Smith and Arkansas ERA supporters worked to convince opposing committee members to vote in favor of passing it out of committee for a vote in the AR House. However, as the end of session approached, Rep. Smith took the difficult decision not to call for a committee vote again during this session.

Rep. Smith issued this statement to 4ERA.org: "I am confident that we were successful in our effort to educate legislators and citizens as to the importance of this equality amendment. I was gratified by the tremendous effort of those who argued for equal rights for women, and I hope that everyone will remain committed to the cause. We have two years to refine our strategy and enhance our political skills to be more persuasive with individual legislators. Five of the committee members who voted against the ERA are term-limited and will not be back in the next session. There is much we can do to support the legislators who supported the ERA and we can work to elect candidates who support the amendment and give them the chance to vote for constitutionally-protected equality of rights."

Our 4ERA members in Arkansas sent us this report:

Our combined efforts during the 2007 regular session of the Arkansas General Assembly resulted in substantial gains. Most notable were:

Support for the ERA Resolution (HJR 1002) from all constitutional officers: Governor Mike Beebe, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, Secretary of State Charlie Daniels, Treasurer Martha Schoffner, Auditor Jim Wood and Land Commissioner Mark Wilcox.
A major pro-ERA rally held at the state capitol on January 24, 2007 which included supportive remarks from our elected officials and which gained national media attention.
Multiple contacts (email, letters and face to face) with members of the House State Affairs Committee.
Committee testimony from former Governor and US Senator David Pryor, Law School Dean, John DiPippa, former and current members of the General Assembly, representatives from women's organizations and many citizen advocates.
Development of an online petition for Arkansans in favor of the ERA
Collection and submission to the legislature of a multi-partisan petition signed by pro-ERA Arkansans.
Establishment of a core group of dedicated campaign organizers, consisting of past ERArkansas leaders, new ERA advocates, legislators and community leaders.
Support from 4ERA.org, the national, single issue ERA organization

With that as prelude, we now face our future more unified and re-dedicated to the goal of passing the ERA Resolution in 2009. Our efforts, plus the media attention they generated, means we've been able to educate a greater number of Arkansas citizens about the ERA and to attract a broader base of multi-partisan supporters.

Therefore we now have the opportunity to build on that base of support to launch a full scale, state-wide campaign to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Arkansas. Short and long term strategies and the implementation of an advocacy network will be implemented. This process is slated to begin shortly after the end of the 2007 session in order to maximize the upcoming legislative interim.

March 2007

Senators Kennedy and Boxer, Representatives Maloney and Nadler to re-introduce the ERA today

March 27, 2007

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) will announce the reintroduction of the Equal Rights Amendment today. This year, there are more than 190 original co-sponsors of the Equal Rights Amendment. The Senators and Members will be joined by leading women's rights groups for the reintroduction with the hopes that soon women will finally achieve official equality in America.

The Members will also announce the plans for forthcoming hearings on the Equal Rights Amendment in the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, chaired by Rep. Nadler. The ERA has not been heard in a Congressional committee since the early 1980s.

North Dakota ERA Resolution Passed

March 9, 2007

ND State Representative Pam Gulleson

This afternoon, the North Dakota legislature passed an historic resolution recommitting the state to ratification of the federal Equal Rights Amendment. Introduced in late January by State Representative Pam Gulleson, the resolution acknowledges ratification of the ERA by the 44th Legislative Assembly of North Dakota in 1975 and declares March 9, 2007 North Dakota Equal Rights Amendment Recognition Day. The resolution also calls for a recommitment to the ERA by all other states and for the amendment’s full ratification by Congress.

Representative Gulleson told 4ERA: "I am very pleased about the passage of this resolution today. Although North Dakota passed the ERA in 1975, our work won’t be complete until it is ratified and becomes the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution."

When we first spoke with Gulleson a few weeks ago she told us she was unaware of the current campaign to finish ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment and was prompted to introduce the resolution because of Women’s History Month and the fact that many people do not realize the ERA is not in our US Constitution.

The concurrent resolution (HCR3032) was passed unanimously by the House on February 13 . This afternoon, the Senate passed the resolution with unanimous support. "It is especially rewarding the resolution had bipartisan sponsors and strong support throughout the assembly," added Gulleson.

Gulleson, a Democrat from Rutland, has served in the North Dakota legislature since 1993. Her bi-partisan co-sponsors on the resolution were House Minority Leader Merle Boucher (D), Majority Leader Rick Berg (R) and Rep. Kathy Hawken (R). Sponsors in the Senate were Majority Leader Bob Stenahjem (R) and Assistant Minority Leader Carolyn Nelson (D).

Now that she knows there are ERA ratification efforts in other states which never ratified the ERA, Rep. Gulleson says:

"I am very hopeful lawmakers in the other states which have already ratified the ERA will pass similar resolutions. This is something we can do to show support for the advocates who continue to work to get the ERA fully ratified, and to remind our constituents that in the year 2007, a full 35 years after passage in Congress, the US Constitution still does not guarantee women equal treatment under the law. Our work is not complete until final ratification."

"This spontaneous action by ND lawmakers, who were otherwise unaware of our current ERA campaign, is very encouraging. It demonstrates the broad support and sustained appeal the ERA enjoys," said Idella Moore, 4ERA.org Executive Officer. "I urge all 4ERA.org members living in the states which have ratified the ERA to take up this challenge from North Dakota and ask their legislatures to pass resolutions of recommitment to the Equal Rights Amendment."

February 2007

AR ERA Resolution Deferred, Loses Co-Sponsors

February 7, 2007

A tie vote in the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee this afternoon left HRC 1002 in a deferred status. The vote was 10-10. Rep. Lindsley Smith chose to defer the resolution. This means it can be brought up again in the committee during the next few weeks of this session.

Karen Garcia, BPW Legislative Chair, gave us this short summary of the proceedings:

Former Governor and US Senator David Pryor spoke knowledgeably and somewhat passionately about the ERA. He was a supporter during his tenure as Arkansas governor during the first effort to ratify. "We didn't do it and I have regretted it ever since that day," Pryor told the committee. There was an equal number of supporters and opponents crowded into the committee room and anti-ERA activist Phyllis Schlafly sat front and center. Reports were that opponents arrived at the Capitol by bus as early as 7 am. Arguments against the ERA were the same as those used by opponents 30 years ago.

The defection of 20 co-sponsors was another setback for ERA advocates. The resolution is now left with just 46 of the 66 who originally signed on as co-sponsors. Garcia said ERA supporters plan to meet with Rep. Lindsley Smith before determining their next steps.

and from Arizona . . .

SCR 1019, the Senate Concurrent Resolution calling for passage of the ERA has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ed Ableser, sponsor, has asked Speaker of the House Jerry Weiers to assign it to another committee because Eddie Farnsworth, chair of Judiciary, has repeatedly said he would not hear it. The House bill number is HCR 2046.

Action Alerts

ERA Ratification Resolution Just Filed in Arizona
February 2, 2007

In an interview yesterday afternoon with Arizona ERA advocate Carolyn Maxon she told us a Senate concurrent resolution (SCR 1019) was filed on Monday, the House resolution will be filed today. Sponsors are State Senator Meg Burton Cahill and State Representative Ed Ableser. Both resolutions have bi-partisan support..

We urge all of our 4ERA members in Arizona to take action to support passage of these resolutions. Contact your legislators to tell them to co-sponsor. If you live in Arizona and want to get involved with the AZ ERA campaign, please contact us at [email protected] .

January 2007

Rally in Arkansas Generates Bi-Partisan Support for the ERA

January 24, 2007

Photos

Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe was joined by over 200 ERA supporters this morning as he announced his support for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The Capitol Rotunda in Little Rock was filled with legislators and representatives of ERA-endorsing organizations from around the state. Hosted by Arkansas Business and Professional Women, the rally culminated in Rep. Lindsley Smith and Senator Sue Madison filing a joint resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

The House resolution garnered bi-partisan support from sixty-six co-sponsors, a comfortable margin over the 51 needed for passage. Senator Madison's resolution has the sponsorship of ten senators. Eighteen members of the Senate will need to support her resolution for it to pass. Both Smith and Madison are hopeful the success of the rally this morning will mean the resolution gains more co-sponsors.

Speakers at the rally included Lt. Governor Bill Halter, Treasurer Martha Shoffner and Secretary of State Charlie Daniels. Their remarks were followed by comments from legislators and from representatives of these participating organizations:

Arkansas Business & Professional Women

American Association of Retired Persons

American Association of University Women

Arkansas Education Association

Arkansas Federation of Democrat Women

Coalition for Peace and Justice

4ERA.org

League of Women Voters

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Network of Executive Women

Women’s Action for New Directions

Women’s Foundation of Arkansas

Women’s Chamber of Commerce

ZONTA International

Arkansas ERA Resolution Has 55 co-sponsors in the House
(January 20, 2007)

A joint resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment already has enough co-sponsors for it to pass in the Arkansas House. This week fifty-five House members signed on as co-sponsors of State Representative Lindsley Smith's resolution calling for ratification of the ERA. In a phone interview with 4ERA, Smith said, "I'm excited about the response. We need 51 votes for passage and we have 55 co-sponsors, so we are very hopeful." State Senator Sue Madison is the resolution's sponsor in the Senate. The Arkansas senate voted on a similar resolution by Madison in 2005. That resolution was defeated but by a margin of just two votes. Smith thinks the time has come for Arkansas to pass the ERA. "We've talked about this for far too long, it's time to do it," she said.

Karen Garcia, AR BPW Legislative Chair told us she is encouraged to see this level of support in the House, but noted that advocates will still be working hard to increase the number of co-sponsors in both chambers. "We have a great opportunity to be the first state to ratify the ERA under the new three state strategy," Garcia said. The resolution will to need gain to 18 votes in the Senate and 51 in the House to achieve ratification.

On January 24, ERA advocates will hold a rally and lobby day at the state capitol in Little Rock. Governor Mike Beebe, who voiced his support of the ERA during his gubernatorial campaign, will address the rally. Hosted by Arkansas Business and Professional Women, a member of the Arkansas ERA Coalition leading the ratification effort, the event is expected to draw ERA supporters from around the state.

See Action Alert for Arkansas

November 2006

UN Global Initiative on Gender Equality in Cities

L-R: Lorraine Chilvers, Zonta International, Dr. Venita Kelley, Spelman College, Dr. Marcel Boisard, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, Idella Moore, 4ERA.org, Florence Gbinigie Erhabor, Commissioner for Women's Affairs and Social Development, Nigeria

4ERA Executive Officer Idella Moore was invited to participate in the UN Global Initiative on Gender Equality in Cities. The three day conference included representatives from cities around the world who had conducted gender equality assessments for their municipalities. As a member of the CIFAL Atlanta Gender Equality Assessment team, Idella worked with other participants including Mayor Shirley Franklin to produce a plan for addressing gender equality issues in Atlanta. The conference culminated in the signing of a Gender Equality resolution. CIFAL Atlanta and UNITAR hosted the conference which will convene again in July 2007. Dr. Marcel Boisard, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNITAR was guest speaker.

October 2006

Zonta International District 11 endorses the ERA

On September 29, 2006, delegates to the 58th Annual Conference of Zonta District 11 on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, unanimously voted to adopt an ERA Resolution endorsing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The District resolution encourages members of District clubs to educate themselves about the need for including the Equal Rights Amendment in the U.S. Constitution and to work with others in their respective states to advocate for state ratification. This is the second consecutive year that delegates to the District 11 annual conference unanimously adopted an ERA Resolution. District 11 also created a subcommittee on Legislative Awareness and Advocacy to coordinate the ERA effort.

The 2006 Annual District Conference also devoted an entire plenary session to the ERA, The Equal Rights Amendment: Staying the Course to Gender Equality. Speaker, Idella Moore, founder and Executive Officer of 4ERA (a single-issue, non-partisan organization whose mission is to finish ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment) both inspired and informed delegates of the need for adding the ERA to the Constitution.

District 11 encompasses 39 clubs in the southeast and 5 in the Bahamas and Puerto Rico. Thirty-eight of the southeastern US clubs are located in states that have not yet ratified the Equal Rights Amendment.

August 2006

Gubernatorial Candidates Support the ERA

(August 31, 2006)

Gubernatorial candidates in Arkansas have now joined the gubernatorial candidates in Florida in supporting ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment by their states' legislatures. Democratic nominee Mike Beebe and Independent Rod Bryan, said in news articles last week that they would support the ERA. Arkansas' Green Party candidate for governor, Jim Lendall not only supports the ERA but calls for passage of the ERA in his campaign platform.

A resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment was voted on last year in the Arkansas state senate. Although it failed to pass, it did so by a margin of only two votes. Arkansas State Senator Sue Madison and State Representative Lindsley Smith both confirmed in an interview with 4ERA that they plan to re-introduce their ERA resolutions during the 2007 legislative session. Karen Garcia, BPW Arkansas' State Legislative Chair told us: "I'm really excited because right now it looks like we will have an opportunity to pass the ERA during the next session."

Dr. Berta Seitz, ERA Arkansas Coordinator echoed Garcia's optimism: "We in Arkansas who support the ERA are elated to have all of the candidates for governor, with the exception of one, supporting ratification of the ERA. Their willingness to work for its passage will have a tremendous impact on our opportunity to pass the ERA. " Women's organizations around the state will be working to build grassroots and legislative support before the session begins in January 2007.

In Florida, where ERA ratification resolutions have been introduced into the Florida legislature every year since 2003, Democratic gubernatorial candidates, Rod Smith and Jim Davis have both indicated their support for the ratification of the ERA. In June 2005 Florida's ERA Alliance received a statement from Smith explicitly promising his active support for the ERA. Smith said, "I have been unwavering in my commitment to the ERA and have repeatedly co-sponsored, argued for and voted in favor of Senator Margolis' resolution which would provide for its ratification by the Legislature of Florida." He went on to say that if he were elected Governor he would not only join in the campaign to get the ERA ratified, "I'd be leading it." Davis, a Congressman has co-sponsored the resolution in Congress asking for passage of the ERA. (Note: Davis won his party's nomination on Sept. 5, 2006 and will face Republican Charlie Crist in November.)

Although governors have no power over the ratification of federal amendments, they can publicize the issue and lobby for it as it is moves through their legislatures. Support of the Equal Rights Amendment by these gubernatorial candidates is consistent with the policy of the National Governors' Association, which adopted an Equal Rights Policy in 1982. In its policy position statement, the NGA includes the text of the ERA and goes on to say that it "reaffirms its support for the principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment".

June 2006

4ERA moves West

We are pleased to announce that 4ERA Executive Board Member Rita Bauer will be launching a 4ERA campaign on the West Coast. She is relocating to San Diego at the end of June and will be leading 4ERA efforts in California and surrounding states. Rita, a geologist, is a founding Executive Board member of 4ERA. Her enthusiasm for the ERA and her planning and organizational abilities have been invaluable to the establishment and promotion of 4ERA. She brings to California a style of grassroots advocacy which is personable, inclusive, tireless and fun. We hope that our ERA supporters in California will welcome her and become involved with her efforts to educate and activate past and new Equal Rights Amemdment supporters in that region. Her first scheduled presentation is in September to students at Miramar College . Please contact Rita at [email protected].

April 2006

"Commander in Chief" to feature the Equal Rights Amendment

The ABC program about the first female President of the United States, Commander in Chief, starring Geena Davis, will feature the Equal Rights Amendment during the show's season finale. The program was orginally scheduled to air on Thursday, May 18 (10:00pm ET). However, on May 2, it was announced that ABC was shelving "Commander in Chief" because of ratings. The remaining episodes are to be shown in June.

The program is titled "Unfinished Business". The plot summary reads: "When a longtime outspoken critic of the Equal Rights Amendment passes away and his wife prepares to take over his Congressional seat, President MacKenzie Allen sees an opportunity to amend the Constitution and finally pass the ERA."

Although we can't be sure that the show's writers were influenced by an email we sent them last summer, urging them to include the ERA in one of their shows, it's nice to think it might have worked. In any case, we are hopeful that there will be some positive publicity for our continued efforts and that more Americans will be made aware that we still do not have the ERA in our US Constitution.

March 2006

Florida ERA Advocates Host Press Conference

On March 13, 2006 Florida's ERA Legislative Council held a press conference launching their ERA lobbying efforts for the 2006 Florida Legislative session. State Senator Gwen Margolis and State Representative Arthenia Joyner, sponsors of ERA ratification resolutions, headed the list of speakers. Representatives from women's organizations from around Florida participated and a special guest from Iraq spoke about her surprise that American women did not have equal rights in our US Constitution.

January 2006

New Website for Florida's ERA Campaign

Florida State Senator Gwen Margolis and State Representative Arthenia Joyner, lead sponsors of the ERA ratification resolutions in the Florida Legislature have launched a web site dedicated to their efforts to pass the resolution.

Margolis, a Florida legislator for most of the past 30 years is a veteran ERA supporter. She is currently the Minority Caucus Policy Committee Co-Chair and served as the Senate President in the early 1990s. Recognizing the growing state wide and bi-partisan support for ERA ratification Senator Margolis said, "There are a lot of efforts going on throughout the state to garner support for passage of the ERA. As the prime sponsors of the bill we want to build upon that work and let our legislative colleagues know what is expected of them."

Rep. Arthenia Joyner, a renown civil rights and women rights activist who was elected to the Florida Legislature in 2000 says "The President of the United States has rightly called for equality of men and women in the constitutions of Afghanistan and Iraq, it's time to practice what we preach by including women in the Constitution of the United States." She said the aim of the site is "to provide the updated information needed to get that message from women and men of conscience throughout the state to their elected representatives in Tallahassee."

The site will keep Florida supporters abreast of the resolutions' latest progress in the Florida legislature, publish media articles about the ERA and act as an important information resource for the many organizations currently involved in the ratification effort in Florida. There is also a slide show of photographs taken during the height of Florida's previous ERA ratification campaign in early 1980s. "We hope the slideshow from our past campaign in Florida will give renewed inspiration to those who have continued the struggle and new energy to those who have not yet engaged," said Karen Woodall, volunteer coordinator for the ERA Legislative Coordinating Council. "We know that folks are working hard and we hope this site will help them in their efforts."

Visit the site at www.eraflorida.org.

July 2005

Florida's Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Support the ERA

(July 14, 2005) Two weeks ago, during a gathering of hundreds of Florida Democrats, the center of attention were the three men who were launching their gubernatorial races. Scott Maddox, US Representative Jim Davis and State Senator Rod Smith differed little on the issues and appeared to be amiable opponents as they answered questions from the audience.

The best known of the three Democratic contenders was Maddox, who recently stepped down as chairman of the state party. He is a former Tallahassee mayor and lost his 2002 bid for attorney general. According to news accounts, Maddox got cheers from the crowd when he said he would support the Equal Rights Amendment. "Women have proven they can run businesses and government and their rights should be etched in our constitution," he said.

But Maddox is not the only candidate for governor who is willing to speak out for the Equal Rights Amendment. Yesterday, Sandy Oestreich, president and founder of Florida's Equal Rights Alliance, Inc. issued this press release containing a message from State Senator Smith:

Florida Senator Rod Smith (D) has long been a supporter of women's rights and especially the Equal Rights Amendment. He made a strong statement of support when it was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2003, and has been a bill co-sponsor ever since, one of 49 this year. We have this morning received his emailed endorsement as follows.

Subj: Senator Smith's statement on ERA

Date:6/28/2005 9:35:03 AM Eastern Standard Time

To: Sandy Oestriech

"I have been unwavering in my commitment to the ERA and have repeatedly co- sponsored, argued for and voted in favor of Senator Margolis' resolution which would provide for its ratification by the Legislature of Florida. As an adjunct professor in Constitutional Law, I am well-equipped to counter the litany of misunderstandings, mischaracterizations and, in some instances, untruths, leveled at this very important measure. Successful passage of the ERA would be a high watermark in our history as a nation. As your Governor I wouldn't be "in" the fight; I'd be leading it."

"We're glad to see Florida's ratification of the ERA being endorsed by some of Florida's gubernatorial candidates. I hope this will encourage other candidates for state office to recognize the importance of this issue and to join with us in our efforts to gain legal equality for American women and men," said Ms Oestreich.

June 2005

Equal Rights Amendment Advocates Convene in Atlanta, Ratification Effort Gaining Strength

(Press Release, June 7, 2005)

For the first time this century, Equal Rights Amendment advocates from states which never ratified the ERA convened to discuss a national strategy for gaining ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The amendment will guarantee American women equal rights under the US Constitution. The conference was held on June 3-5, 2005 and hosted by 4ERA, a national, non-partisan ERA organization based in Atlanta. The conference participants included Democrat and Republican women who discussed the campaigns in their states and a strategy to advance the campaign at a national level.

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was passed by Congress in 1972 but opponents were successful in placing a time limit on the ratification. By the June 1982 deadline, the amendment had achieved 35 state ratifications, three shy of the 38 needed. Then in 1997, a legal opinion based on the precedent set by the ratification of the 27th amendment in 1992, stated that the ERA is still legally viable and that Congress can finish the ratification process after three more states ratify it. This opinion reinvigorated ardent ERA supporters and they set to work to reactivate past supporters and to educate a new generation. Since then, as part of a three state strategy, the ERA has been introduced into several of the 15 state legislatures that never ratified it. There are also ERA resolutions in Congress.

The last two years has seen a marked increase in ERA activity in the unratified states. In 2003, the Illinois House of Representatives passed the ERA. In Arizona, Missouri, Florida and Virginia legislators regularly introduce ratification resolutions into their General Assemblies and this spring state lawmakers in Nevada and Arkansas also introduced ERA resolutions. Last August a NY state senator proposed an ERA for his state's constitution. New ERA campaigns have begun in Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Nevada, Alabama and Mississippi.

The Equal Rights Amendment says, "equality of rights under the law will not be denied or abridged on account of sex" and polls show that its inclusion in the Constitution is still favored by an overwhelming majority of Americans. Yet many Americans think the ERA is already in the Constitution and many women don't know that they have no constitutional guarantee of equality. Lawmakers are equally uniformed. "Our state lawmakers and members of Congress need to be made aware of why the ERA campaign continues because they are the ones who vote on the amendment," noted Idella Moore, 4ERA's Executive Officer. "Since the majority of their constituents are women and the majority of voters are women, they need to recognize the importance of this issue."

ERA supporters point out that a guarantee of equality is still needed because sex discrimination is still prevalent and particularly damaging to the economic advancement of women. "Sex discrimination hurts women and their families," said Sandra Hufstetler, Louisiana's ERA coalition leader. According to labor statistics the average family loses over $4000 per annum because of pay inequity. Moore points out that laws are not protecting women from sex discrimination and sex discrimination cases are not diminishing. For instance, she reports that in a recent pregnancy discrimination case in Columbus, Georgia, a young TV reporter was advised by her company to have an abortion rather than ruin her career. Because she chose to have her child, the reporter experienced blatant discrimination. So much so that a jury awarded her $2 million dollars in punitive damages. However, because Title VII of the Civil Rights Act caps punitive damages for sex discrimination, the victim will receive only one-tenth of that award. "This is precisely why sex discrimination in the workplace continues. Punitive damages are supposed to act as a deterrent, but because there is a cap on damages to victims of sex discrimination, companies know they are protected from the full impact of a jury's award," said Moore.

Conference participants agreed that if the previous ratification campaign had been successful this kind of lawsuit would be a thing of the past. "I'm convinced that had the ERA been ratified twenty-three years ago, cases such as the current class action lawsuit involving 1.6 million women suing Wal-Mart for sex discrimination would not be before us today. Sex discrimination cases would, by now, be rarer," said Sandy Oestreich leader of Florida's Equal Rights Alliance.

ERA advocates realize that their public awareness campaigns have some hurdles. "The myths surrounding the Equal Rights Amendment persist regardless of the fact that it can be demonstrated that these are indeed myths," said Shirley Breeze, who represented Missouri's ERA PAC. Back in the 1970s opponents of the ERA convinced many legislators that unisex toilets, free abortions on demand, same-sex marriage and women being drafted would be the results of the ERA. "These predictions were always baseless, scare tactics," said Breeze. "The myths concern separate issues which the ERA would not affect," added Mary Mosley, also of Missouri's ERA PAC. "For most Americans they are no longer taken seriously as arguments against a guarantee that men and women will be treated equally under the law. Yet some members of the public still associate them with the ERA," she said.

Those attending the conference ranged from seasoned proponents who lobbied during the ratification efforts of the 1970s to those who were too young to be involved when the 1982 deadline shattered the hopes of the estimated 60 million Americans who favored the amendment. "We see the conference as a natural next step in the renewed effort to finish ratification," said Moore, "and we hope it marks the beginning of the next chapter of the ERA story."

May 2005

FAU Student Joins Equal Rights Alliance, Inc.

Sandy Oestreich, head of The Equal Rights Alliance in Florida has announced that Tara Laxer will be joining her organization to help spearhead Florida's efforts to ratify the ERA in Florida. Ms Laxer, a student at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, organized an ERA rally at FAU in April (see below). In her announcement, Ms Oestreich commended Tara for her enthusiastic support of the ERA and said: "As a result of her obvious commitment and expertise we have invited Tara to partner with me. She will lead another generation, via the Young People for ERA Action in ERA Inc., to complete the dream of Alice Paul, suffragist leader and author of the Equal Rights Amendment."

In accepting the invitation, Ms Laxer stated: "The Equal Rights Alliance's progress is amazing. In just 4 years it has gained 49 legislative cosponsors of our ERA resolution. But we must do more. I think I can help." Ms Laxer is completing her Interdisciplinary Studies undergraduate work with a Certificate in Women's Studies.

April 2005

ERA Rally in Florida

On April 20, students at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton held an ERA rally. Organizer Tara Laxer says "We need to inform the community that a positive change can be made regardless of party affiliation. This is a simple issue of equality for all Americans that we should all be able to agree upon."

The enthusiastic crowd heard 21 speakers and was entertained by three local bands. The event not only attracted FAU students but men and women from all over southeast Florida. The League of Women Voters were bussed to the rally.

Tara and her student co-chairs Lexi Dick and Alexandra Brooke head up an ERA Action Team whose members plan to visit their Florida legislators this summer. They will be pressing their representatives to vote in favor of the ERA bills that will before the next Legislative Session in March 2006.

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ERA fails in the Arkansas State Senate

On April 5, 2005 the Arkansas state senate voted on the resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. The vote was 16 ayes to 15 nays with 4 members abstaining. The resolution needed 18 votes to pass.

ERA activist Berta Seitz said: "We gave them accurate info, we answered everything which they questioned and yet they would not vote for it." The resolution was called for a vote because a poll of senators showed enough support to pass. However, two legislators, who had said they would vote for the ERA, voted against it at the roll call. Another legislator--who abstained from voting--said he would have voted for the resolution once it had garnered 17 votes.

Because the Arkansas' legislature meets only once every two years it will be 2007 before they have another opportunity to introduce ERA legislation. Ms Seitz reported that State Senator Sue Madison has agreed to re-introduce the ERA at the next session. Plans are for ERA proponents to spend the next two years increasing public awareness and legislative support. "I think it is important that we build more grass roots support, gain some political clout and make the legislators afraid of us," said Seitz.

March 2005

Arkansas Legislators Introduce ERA ratification resolution

Two Arkansas state legislators are pushing a resolution to ratify the ERA. Senate Joint Resolution 17 by Sen. Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville, would give state ratification to the federal amendment.

Rep. Lindsley Smith, D-Fayetteville, plans to carry the resolution in the state House. "Things have changed a lot since the 1970s, and I think we've got a real good shot at passing this," Smith said during a Friday legislative forum in Fayetteville.

February 2005

Nevada Legislator withdraws her proposed introduction of the ERA

Click here for the full news story.

Comment from 4ERA:

The "legal counselors" who advised Assemblywoman McClain to withdraw her proposed resolution ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment appear to be misinformed. Kathleen Hennessey's article says that McClain was dissuaded because she was told that "ratification efforts could only be resurrected by a vote in the U.S. Congress". But history demonstrates that Nevada does not necessarily need permission from Congress to engage in "ratification efforts". We can demonstrate three instances where the actual or perceived ratification status of a federal Constitutional amendment has not deterred states from taking ratification action.

For example, some states have ratified amendments AFTER they have been added to the Constitution. The 19th amendment giving women the right to vote was added to the Constitution in 1920. Yet some states continued to ratify the 19th amendment even into the 1970's. So there were unnecessary "ratification efforts" within these states for an amendment that was already in our Constitution.

Hawaii's legislature voted unanimously in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment twenty-five minutes after it passed Congress in 1972. Obviously, there were "ratification efforts" in Hawaii for a federal amendment BEFORE Congress had passed it.

The latest amendment to our Constitution, The Madison Amendment, languished unratified for almost 203 years. During the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a flurry of "ratification efforts" within states to ratify it although most constitutional scholars considered it dormant. More importantly in Nevada's case--and for that matter all the ERA unratified states-- the Madison Amendment was ratified by states even though the legislatures did not know whether Congress would accept their ratifications. It was only after the 38th state ratified it that Congress promulgated the Madison amendment and decided to include it in the Constitution.

Clearly, the ratification status of a federal amendment has no bearing on whether state legislatures can engage in efforts to ratify it. Apparently, a state has the perogative to take action to ratify a federal amendment even if the amendment 1) is already in our Constitution 2) has not yet been passed by Congress or 3) its chance of full ratification is unknown.

Idella Moore

4ERA, Executive Officer

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ERA to be introduced into Nevada Legislature

On February 16, 2005 Nevada Assembleywoman Kathy McClain announced she would introduce a state resolution ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment. Nevada will join Illinois and Florida as states with pending ERA ratification resolutions.

"We are overjoyed by this news," said Idella Moore, founder of 4ERA. "This is very encouraging to ERA supporters around the country, but especially those working on our campaigns in the unratified states."

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4ERA to host Conference of Unratified States

4ERA will host a conference of ERA campaign leaders from the unratified states. The meeting will be held in June in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Joyner and Margolis introduce Joint ERA Resolutions in Florida

Florida State Representative Arthenia Joyner (Tampa) and State Senator Gwen Margolis (Miami) have introduced joint ERA ratification resolutions into the Florida Legislature's 2005 session. So far 23 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle have added their names to HCR 203 and SCR 94. This time around ERA supporters think the chance of success is more promising than ever. Supporters feel that the legislative climate has changed and some doors have opened.

Equal Rights Alliance President, Sandy Oestreich, reports: "Our 40 regional ERA Action Teams, the leaders of the Florida Women's Consortium, Business & Professional Women, League of Women Voters, and Association of American University Women have been lobbying for our ERA bills very effectively this year! We are planning ERA rallies on campuses, doing mailings, and speaking out in our communities to propel the ERA forward here."

In March ERA supporters will head to Tallahassee to lobby throughout the legislative session which runs from March through April. "We bring a fabulous group of college interns and join with others of ERA Inc. to lobby legislators nonstop. We don't fool around--we ARE going to get Florida ratified!" says Sandy. Contact her at [email protected].

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Illinois introduces ERA resolution

At the beginning of the 2005 session, Illinois State Representative Lou Lang re-introduced an ERA ratification resolution (HJR CA0003) into the Illinois House of Representatives. Lang, a staunch ERA supporter, says he will continue to sponsor ERA legislation until Illinois passes it.

His ERA ratification resolution passed in the Illnois House in May of 2003 and was quickly sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee where it was passed just before the session ended. Throughout the rest of the 2003-2004 session, ERA activists reported that a simple majority of state senators supported the resolution, but they never gained the 3/5 majority which Illinois requires for passage of a federal amendment.

January 2005

Louisiana ERA supporters march in New Orleans

In January, ERA supporters in Louisiana publicized their new state ERA campaign with a march in New Orleans. Veteran ERA activists, Jacqui Ceballos, Felicia Kahn, Shirley Marvin, Jean Helwig and LA ERA President Sandra Hufstetler were joined by many other ERA supporters as they marched through the historic French Quarter.

Louisiana launched their ERA campaign last October and are making great progress towards increasing public awareness and building a strong coalition of ERA supporting organizations.

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Congressman Joe Baca introduces bill to posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Alice Paul, suffragist and author of The Equal Rights Amendment

Representative Joe Baca is leading the effort among members of Congress to honor Alice Paul, a leader of the women’s suffrage movement and civil rights champion.

On January 26, 2005, Rep. Baca introduced legislation that will award Alice Paul the Congressional Gold Medal for her role in securing passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Rep. Baca’s bill, H.R. 311, is the first effort to award Paul with the medal.

“Alice Paul’s role in United States history cannot be understated,” said Rep. Baca. “Without her, women might not enjoy many of the rights that they do today. It is time that she received proper recognition from the United States Congress.”

Paul, who was born on January 11, 1885, and died on July 9, 1977, dedicated her life to securing suffrage and equal rights for all women. Paul used nonviolent civil disobedience to bring national attention to the women’s suffrage movement. She was among the first group to ever picket the White House.

After the 19th Amendment was ratified, Paul drafted the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and fought tirelessly for the states to ratify it. At the time of her death in 1977 the ERA needed only three more states to ratify it. Sadly the amendment was never ratified.

“As one of the foremost leaders of the women’s suffrage movement, it is absolutely deserving that the Congress award Alice Paul with the Congressional Gold Medal,” said Rep. Baca. “Alice Paul stood for civil rights for all people, not just women. It is time that the U.S. Congress honors her.”

4ERA applauds Congressman Baca's bill honoring Alice Paul and encourages 4ERA members to ask their own members of Congress to sponsor HR 311.

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Equal Rights Amendment Activists Mourn the death of Shirley Chisholm

(PRWEB) January 4, 2005 -- Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first woman to run for President, died at her home in Florida on January 1. She was 80 years old.

Idella Moore, founder of 4ERA, an Equal Rights Amendment advocacy organization, issued this statement:
Shirley Chisholm's devotion to equal rights for women and her eloquent speeches on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment will not be forgotten. For those who worked for ratification of the ERA in the 1970s and 80s and for those of us who continue to pursue its inclusion in the US Constitution, she is an enduring icon of all that a women's rights activist and politician should embody. Her plainspoken and calm delivery of profound ideas, her unwillingness to compromise her fundamental beliefs and her refusal to “play the game” are legendary.

Sadly, the words she spoke in 1970 regarding the need for a constitutional guarantee of legal equality for women, are still appropriate 35 years later: "[The ERA] provides a legal basis for attack on the most subtle, most pervasive, and most institutionalized form of prejudice that exists. Discrimination against women, solely on the basis of their sex, is so widespread that it seems to many persons normal, natural and right."

4ERA, whose mission and goals echo Ms. Chisholm’s beliefs of equality, inclusion and the resilience of ideals which are fair and right, will continue to strive to accomplish her dream of first class citizenship for American women."

December 2004

Illinois Senate fails to call the ERA for a vote

Despite the best efforts of Illinois ERA activists, the Illinois Senate adjourned on November 18, 2004, without ever calling the ERA for a vote. Chief Sponsor Emil Jones, Jr. had vowed he would not call it unless he could be assured of its passage. Although more than a simple majority of senators--including Barack Obama--endorsed the ERA, lllinois requires a 3/5 majority for the passage of amendments. Proponents were within a few senators of having the 3/5 majority, plus 2-3 additional votes for insuring passage.

Rep. Lou Lang, chief sponsor of the ERA in the Illinois House of Representatives (which passed the ERA in May 2003), will re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment in the next session which begins in January 2005. Supporters are hopeful that recent state elections have changed the makeup of the Illinois General Assembly in favor of ERA ratification.

October 2004

Louisiana Launches State ERA Campaign

Louisiana ERA supporters spent October 9, 2004 organizing a new ERA campaign for their state. Women and men representing organizations from around the state brainstormed and put in place some "next steps" towards promoting the ERA, building coalition and working with legislators. Idella Moore of 4ERA was the guest speaker. For more information contact: Sandra Hufstetler, of the LA ERA Campaign.

August 2004

New York State Senator Introduces ERA legislation

STATE SENATOR TOM DUANE ANNOUNCES INTRODUCTION OF

NYS EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT

NEW YORK, Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - New York State Senator Tom Duane (D-WFP-Manhattan) was joined by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), former Congresswoman Liz Holtzman (D-NY), and other supporters of women's equality today to announce his introduction of Bill No. S7753 to create a New York State Equal Rights Amendment.

Senator Duane introduced the legislation, which provides that no person shall be subjected to discrimination in civil rights based on one's sex, and affords equal protection under the law, in the New York State Senate on Monday, August 23. Twenty other states have already passed their own versions of the ERA.

"I continue to be appalled that New York State, in 2004, fails to provide constitutional protections against discrimination and fails to provide equal protection under the law due to a person's sex," stated Senator Duane. "This is insulting to New York's women. They deserve and demand far better. It is time the Legislature fix this glaring omission in the State Constitution."

Congresswoman Maloney, sponsor of legislation in Congress for a federal ERA, added, "The United States is the only industrialized democracy in the world that does not explicitly guarantee equality for women by law. The idea of an Equal Rights Amendment is so fair, and so fundamentally American, that 70% of people believe that it is already in the federal Constitution. The best way to assure equal rights is to pass a federal Equal Rights Amendment, which would apply to all 50 states. I am proud to have introduced the federal ERA in every session of the House of Representatives since 1997. The next best way is to pass a state ERA. Thank you, Senator Duane for introducing this necessary bill."

Former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, who in 1977 led the successful effort in Congress to extend the deadline for ratification of the ERA from March 22, 1979 to June 30, 1982, noted that New York was the birthplace of the women's rights movement. "For that reason, it is more critical than ever for New York State - as well as other states - to assure women that their rights to equality are immutable and indestructible. These rights are too precious to be curtailed. These rights are too precarious for us to ignore the need to protect them. These rights, affecting the fate of more than half our population directly, and the rest indirectly, deserve to be enshrined in our constitution itself."

Senator Duane, Congresswoman Maloney and former Congresswoman Holtzman also used the occasion to urge all New Yorkers to celebrate August 26th, "Women's Equality Day." Women's Equality Day was proposed by the late New York Congressmember Bella Abzug and established by a 1971 joint resolution of Congress to mark the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution allowing women to vote. Senator Duane chose to introduce his ERA legislation this week in honor of the women who fought so hard for the 19th Amendment and the right to vote.

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New Book Released

The Hungry Heart, A Woman's Fast for Justice by Zoe Ann Nicholson

After 25 years, Zoe has decided to share her private diary about summer 1982 when she joined 6 women in a solemn fast for the ERA. Fasting on water only for 37 days she tells us what she sees, how she feels, what went on.

"As a teacher of U.S. Women's History, if I had to choose one book about the struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment, The Hungry Heart would be that book. In fact, if I had to choose one book which captures the spirit of the women's movement of the late 1970's and 1980's, this would be it. Nicholson's account of the Women's Fast for Justice is the most compelling and profoundly accurate I have ever read about the transformative power of non violent action for social justice and the spiritual journey of one who travels that path." Mary Lee Sargent, Professor Emerita, Parkland College and co-founder of the Grass Roots Group of Second Class Citizens.

To order go to: http://www.lunesoleilpress.com/bk-hh.php

2004 News Archives

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An ERA Campaign for Alabama

4ERA member Elizabeth Crandall is the new Alabama ERA Campaign Network Coordinator. Alabama is one of the few unratified states without an active ERA campaign. Please encourage potential ERA supporters in Alabama to contact Elizabeth if they want more information or want to help. She may be reached at [email protected].

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Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas endorses the ERA

Unanimous Resolution from the Council
FAWCO Interim Conference
March 24-29, 2004 - The Hague, Netherlands
(Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas, Inc.)

FAWCO (the Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas, Inc.), a non-partisan organization with more than 17,000 members in 33 countries, endorses the Equal Rights Amendment and urges its timely ratification by the following states:

Alabama Arizona, Arkansas, Florida Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia.

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