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.”

 

The U.S. Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972, but it set a seven year time limit for ratification. During this time 38 states needed to ratify the amendment. Congress later added a three year extension, but by June 30, 1982 the amendment was three states short of full ratification. Then in 1992, Congress added the Madison Amendment to the Constitution. The Madison Amendment was passed by Congress in 1789. The ratification of this 27th amendment, 203 years after it was passed by Congress, set a precedent which, when applied to the Equal Rights Amendment, means that the ERA is still legally viable and before the states. According to this legal opinion, Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress full ratification can be achieved once three more states ratify the ERA.

 

Unratified States

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

 

ERA resolutions introduced in 2007:

Arizona-SCR1019, HCR2046

Arkansas–HJR 1002

Illinois–HJRCA0002

Florida–S0272, H8003

Louisiana–HCR 4

Missouri–SCR7

 

There are also active ERA campaigns in

Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.

 

 

 

New Drive Afoot to Pass Equal Rights Amendment

By Juliet Eilperin

Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 28, 2007; Page A01

Federal and state lawmakers have launched a new drive to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, reviving a feminist goal that faltered a quarter-century ago when the measure did not gain the approval of three-quarters of the state legislatures.

The amendment, which came three states short of enactment in 1982, has been introduced in five state legislatures since January. Yesterday, House and Senate Democrats reintroduced the measure under a new name — the Women’s Equality Amendment — and vowed to bring it to a vote in both chambers by the end of the session.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/27/AR2007032702357.html