ERA

WHEN:
Thursday, July 24, 2014

WHERE:
Sidewalk in front of the U.S. Supreme Court
1 First St, NE, Washington, DC

MEDIA AVAILABILITY:
Eleanor Smeal, Feminist Majority President

WASHINGTON – Thursday at 9:00 a.m., Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) will lead a United Call to Action on the need to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The elected officials will be joined by youth leaders and long-time champions of the move to pass the ERA, including Feminist Majority Foundation President Eleanor Smeal.

“The Hobby Lobby case shows the dire need for the Equal Rights Amendment. A majority of the Supreme Court clearly does not believe that the Constitution protects women from sex discrimination,” Smeal said.

“I am very encouraged that the Equal Rights Amendment is moving forward today. In the 2014 Virginia state legislative session, the Senate approved the ERA. In late May of 2014, the Illinois Senate approved the ERA by a 60 percent majority. The Equal Rights Amendment will come up in the veto session of the Illinois House in November, and Illinois could become the 36th state to ratify the ERA. Moreover, the Equal Rights Amendment will be on the state ballot of Oregon in November 2014. The Oregon measure will amend the state Constitution to include an Equal Rights Amendment with wording similar to the federal ERA that was approved by Congress in 1972,” Smeal continued.

“The ERA was approved by Congress and 35 state legislatures, and need only be ratified by three more. Those states that are pending are principally in the south, but also include Illinois, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.”

The Feminist Majority supports both the start-over strategy, which has been introduced in the House by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), and in the Senate by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and we support the three-state strategy which has been introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) in the Senate.

Follow the conversation: #ERANow.

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