New bills affirm 28th Amendment to U.S. Constitution, urge N.C. to ratify ERA
North Carolina Rep. Julie von Haefen and Sen. Natalie Murdock introduced bills affirming the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment and urging North Carolina to become the 39th state to ratify.
The ERA was fully ratified in January 2020, and has been affirmed as the 28th Amendment by the American Bar Association and respected constitutional scholars.
“I am proud to be the primary House sponsor of this bill for the fourth consecutive session,” said Rep. von Haefen. “Some people may ask why our state still needs to pass a bill regarding the ERA after Virginia became the final state necessary for ratification in 2020. Our country is moving backward regarding women’s rights. We’ve recently seen lawmakers stripping our rights away, especially regarding our ability to make health care decisions for our bodies. We cannot let another generation of women go through life without knowing that our country’s Constitution guarantees equal rights. I don’t want that for my daughter, for me or for any woman living in this state.”
“We stand here advocating for the ERA, amidst the attacks on reproductive freedom that are popping up here in North Carolina and across the country,” said Senator Murdock. “So now, more than ever, we need to ensure that your sex or gender does not hold you back from having full protection under the law. And amidst the widespread dismantling of policies that have helped women claim their seats at the tables where decisions are made each and every day, we deserve to be a part of all of those tables as Shirley Chisholm famously said.”
“The ERA has never been more important,” said Jennifer Rubin, president of League of Women Voters of NC. “We know that it is a vital tool in our fight against sex and gender discrimination, including unequal pay, workplace harassment,pregnancy discrimination, domestic violence, limited access to health care, discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals, and more. The ERA now constitutionally protects equality of rights under the law, regardless of sex. Yet ratification is not being fully acknowledged. We join with many other organizations to ask that we correct the Constitution.”
Megan Shook, president of the NC Association of Women Attorneys, noted that ratification of the ERA was the first resolution the organization passed when it was organized in 1978. “The American Bar Association adopted a resolution supporting the immediate implementation of the ERA. Their position is that the time requirement, and the state’s ability to rescind ratification does not comport with Article V of the Constitution. Our organization, the NCAWA, agrees with the ABA’s interpretation, and we would encourage the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina legal community to assess the full ratification of the ERA and support its implementation through this bill. We have a professional and ethical obligation to support equality under the law. So it’s our responsibility to support the ERA.”
“Following Virginia’s ratification as the 38th and final state necessary to fully ratify the ERA, Congress and the states had two years to bring laws into conformity with the new 28th Amendment,” ERA-NC Alliance co-president Marla Barthen said. “In 2023, the Alliance identified some 2,000 North Carolina statutes that still need to be addressed, and it’s time to get on with that work.”
“North Carolina should ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, even though it’s fully ratified already,” said Audrey Muck, co-president of the Alliance. “North Carolina didn’t ratify the 19th Amendment until 1971 – 51 years after the amendment became law. Let’s not be so late to the party this time!”
Photos courtesy of Mike Oniffrey
Watch the press conference:
Read the bills:
House Bill H. 500 Lead sponsors: Reps. Julie von Haefen, Carla Cunningham, Renee Price, Lindsey Prather. 45 co-sponsors.
Senate Bill S. 438 Lead sponsors: Sens. Julie Mayfield, Natalie Murdock, Woodson Bradley. 13 co-sponsors.
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