While Virginia became the 38th, the final state necessary to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, the Department of Justice instructed the National Archivist to ignore the law and add the ERA to the United States Constitution. THIS IS HIS JOB!
Soon after our becoming the 38th State, the House voted to eliminate the deadline for passage, which was not part of the ERA. As I watched this momentous occasion from the House Gallery, I cried tears of joy. However, a similar piece of legislation sits on the desk of the Majority Leader of the Senate.
Three exciting pieces of news from DC:
- The Attorneys General of Nevada (#36), Illinois (#37), and our Mark Herring filed a lawsuit to enforce the legal procedure - thus the ERA would automatically become part of the Constitution.
- Equal Means Equal, the organization our League worked with, filed an amicus brief to force the government to certify ratification. This was signed by “one of the most diverse collection of labor, clergy, artist, activist, philanthropic, anti-violence, business, and consumer groups.” Since this was filed, a dozen more groups asked to be added. News just came in that the United States Conference of Mayors, representing over 30,000 residents filed their own amicus brief.
- FORTUNE magazine announced that dozens of mega-corporations, think Apple, Google, PepsiCO, Airbnb, Uber, and the NFL, are taking a public position by submitting a brief in support of the ERA.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for being there these past 3 years as we all helped make it happen.
Donna Granski
LWV-RMA ERA Committee Chair