The Equal Rights Amendment won unanimous support from participants at the American Association of University Women state meeting in Burlington April 12-13. Roberta Madden, a member of the Asheville branch, presented a resolution to endorse the renewed efforts to make the ERA part of the Constitution.
She explained that joint resolutions will be introduced next month in both houses of Congress to eliminate the ERA deadline and to make it part of the Constitution after three more states ratify it. She encouraged members to contact Senators Hagan and Burr and their respective House members and urge them to cosponsor the resolutions, which will be similar to HJR 47 and SJR 39 in the previous Congress. Senator Ben Cardin (MD) and Rep. Robert Andrews (NJ) will introduce the legislation in May.
After a lively discussion, participants voted to declare AAUW-NC’s support of RATIFY ERA-NC, and to pledge the active engagement of its members with members of Congress so as to clear the way for a robust campaign in North Carolina in the next General Assembly. They also voted to set aside $500 to support the work of RATIFY ERA-NC, which is applying for nonprofit corporation status and is launching a statewide educational campaign on the ERA.
For more information, contact Roberta Madden, co-director of RATIFY ERA-NC.
