All about the ERA
The Equal Rights Amendment is in the news because Assistant Attorney Gen. Steven Engel of the Justice Department issued a memo with a finding that the deadline for ratification had expired, stating, “Because three-fourths of the state legislatures did not ratify before the deadline that Congress imposed, the Equal Rights Amendment has failed adoption.”
The ERA was proposed in 1920 just after the 19th Amendment was ratified, stating that sex could not be used to deny citizens the right to vote — the only law that protects women's rights in our Constitution.
The amendment states: “Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to equal rights for men and women. Article-Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
In 1972, the ERA was passed with two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate and was sent for ratification by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states. Twenty-eight states ratified the amendment in 1972, when Phyllis Schlafly entered the picture. As a staunch conservative, she decided to organize against ratification. The irony of Schlafly was her opposition to women working outside the home — arguing the ERA would make women eligible for military draft, and deprive them of separate restrooms and “dependent wife” benefits under Social Security — while she ignored real issues women faced, including that a male co-signer was required when obtaining a credit card and unmarried women were unable to obtain birth control. Schlafly’s campaign slowed the momentum, but seven more states ratified the amendment for a total of 35, while another five states rescinded their ratification.
The amendment was initially set to be ratified by 1979, but in 1978 Congress extended the deadline to 1982. Recent ratification of the ERA by Nevada in 2017 and Illinois in 2018 were properly recorded by the Trump administration.
Also making news as a result of the 2019 elections was Virginia's legislature planning to become the 38th state required for the ERA to become a part of the Constitution.
Some state and federal laws do cover gender-equality issues, but adding the amendment to the Constitution would give equal rights between sexes the highest possible legal protection against discrimination in the workplace and protections against gender violence.
If a legal remedy to the deadline is needed, Congress could pass a bill in both the House and Senate to remove the deadline. The deadline may not be an issue, since it was never voted on and was only part of the preamble.
It's long overdue for women to use their vote on this 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment for women to finally have “equal justice under the law” in a constitutional amendment.
Kathy Weaver, Clermont
What a wonderful week for the party formally known as the Democrats.
First they fall over themselves trying to get their favored candidate named the winner in Iowa.
They are, of course, the party of free and fair elections so long as they get the results they want.
Perhaps they should ask Debbie Wasserman Schultz who won. After all, she's honest.
Next act in the circus came the State of the Union. It's now plain to see to anyone looking who is responsible for the problems in this great country.
The liberal Democrats and their leadership are doing everything in their power to destroy our country and its citizens. The Speaker behaved shamefully all the way through, apparently chewing something, making faces and snide remarks, shuffling papers and then tearing up Trump’s speech.
Pelosi's actions perfectly represent the spirit of today's Democratic Party: hateful, corrupt and vindictive.
Trump need not spend too much on campaign ads, just run a 30-second spot of the Democrats’ behavior.
And, of course, let's nor forget the family friendly Super Bowl halftime show consisting of “feminine energy.” Really? Was the pole dancing supposed to represent feminine energy?
God help us.
John Cassidy, Clermont