Members of Congress and representatives of women’s groups hold a rally to mark the 40th anniversary of congressional passage of the Equal Rights Ammendment (ERA) outside the U.S. Capitol March 22, 2012 in Washington, DC. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), sponsor of H.J.Res.69, the current ERA; Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Rep. Hank Johnson, (D-GA), Feminist Majority President Ellie Smeal, National Organization for Women President Terry O’Neill, The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Trust President Coline Jenkins, National Council of Women’s Organizations’ ERA Task Force Chairwoman Bobbie Francis, American Association of University Women Public Policy Director Lisa Matz, Federally Employed Women representative Janet Kopenhaver
(CNN)The coming Democratic takeover of the Virginia legislature has cleared the path for the state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, which would ban discrimination on the basis of sex and guarantee equality for women under the Constitution.Earlier this year, the state Senate voted to advance the ERA. But the bipartisan progress was halted in the House of Delegates, where Republican opponents blocked a full floor vote. The new Democratic legislative majority is poised now to finish the job — and make Virginia the critical 38th state to back the amendment.As they celebrated their sweep in Richmond, top Virginia Democrats promised the ERA would be a priority in 2020.
"Every constitution written since the end of World War II includes a provision that men and women are citizens of equal stature. Ours does not." ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only issue is whether it prohibits it. It doesn’t. Nobody ever thought that that’s what it meant. Nobody ever voted for that.” ~ Former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
