Defenders of the Equal Rights Amendment said on Thursday that it is still important for the North Carolina legislature to ratify the proposal in favor of fair treatment for all women, even while the future of ERA is being evaluated by a court.
General Assembly lawmakers and state and national activists at ERA announced at an online press conference their redoubled efforts to bring ratification to debate and votes this year. Democratic lawmakers have said they plan to present such resolutions at the legislative session that begins in earnest next week.
Republicans in charge of the General Assembly have been cool to act on previous resolutions, but a likely bill sponsor said that efforts to enshrine equal rights for women in the US constitution should be bipartisan.
“It’s time to ensure equal pay, equal access and equal opportunity for everyone,” said Senator Valerie Foushee, an Orange County Democrat.
The amendment was first sent to states in the 1970s. Congress set a deadline for ratification in 1982, but pro-ERA forces argue that it is not mandatory. In 2020, Virginia became the 38th ratifying state – enough to validate it. But the national archivist did not certify complete ratification, leading to litigation.
ERA Coalition President Carol Jenkins said that other states’ formal support for the amendment would provide protection to retain support from 38 states if the decisions of several state legislatures to rescind previous ratifications were kept legal.
Photo via Casey Toth / The News & Observer and AP.