Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment, first proposed in 1923, is still not part of the U.S. Constitution.
The ERA has been ratified by 35 of the necessary 38 states. When three more states vote yes, the ERA could become the 28th Amendment.
Arkansas has NOT ratified the ERA and will have this opportunity during the legislative session which will convene on Monday, January 12, 2009.
The ERA was only ONE VOTE short of being ratified during the last session of the Arkansas State Legislature.
Let's work together to contact our legislators to ensure its passage during this session!
What does the ERA say?
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.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
Why is this important?
The Equal Rights Amendment is needed in order to guarantee for the first time in our country’s history that the rights affirmed by the U.S. Constitution are held equally by all citizens without regard to sex. The ERA would provide a legal remedy against sex discrimination for both women and men.
Its most important effect would be to clarify the status of sex discrimination for federal and state courts, whose decisions still deal inconsistently with such claims. For the first time, sex would be a suspect classification, as race currently is. As a result, governmental actions that treat males or females differently as a class would be subject to strict judicial scrutiny, and they would have to meet the highest level of justification – a necessary relation to a compelling state interest – in order to be upheld as constitutional.
To actual or potential offenders who would try to write, enforce, or adjudicate laws inequitably, the ERA would send a strong message – that the Constitution has zero tolerance for sex discrimination under the law.
What can you do?
Contact the legislator and senator who represents your district and ask them to vote FOR the ERA.
