Equal Rights Amendment North Carolina Alliance

It's Time to Write Women Into the Constitution!

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Listen Up! ERA on WUNC

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ERA-NC Alliance co-president, Joanna WadeJoanna Wade, co-president of the ERA-NC Alliance, will be interviewed on “The State of Things,” a radio show on WUNC, Thursday, April 18, noon to 12:45 p.m. Frank Stasio is the host.

Other guests include Sen. Terry Van Duyn, a leading proponent in the General Assembly for North Carolina’s ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
 
Angela Robbins, assistant professor of history at Meredith College, will discuss the history of women’s rights nationally and in North Carolina.
 
 

MAKE NC #38

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One More State. #38
Not One More Generation.

We’ve launched our MAKE NC #38 fundraising campaign and ask you to donate:

$3.80
$38.00
$380.00
$3,800.00

or any amount you wish to show your support of the ERA-NC Alliance’s efforts important work of education, advocacy and lobbying during this critical and urgent time.

Click the link to give online. It’s easy!

https://www.era-nc.org/donate-2/

Or send a check payable to ERA-NC Alliance and mail to:

ERA-NC Alliance
MAKE NC #38 Campaign
P. O. Box 20222
Winston-Salem, NC 27120

As a 501(c)4, donations to ERA-NC Alliance are not tax deductible, but we’re sure you’ll want to be part of our MAKE NC #38 Campaign!

Path to Ratification

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Do you wonder how our ERA bills will move forward toward ratification here in North Carolina? Here’s a quick primer on the process and where things stand right now:

  • Make Equality RealityBill Introduced
    • Brief Window for Co-Sponsors Opens
  • 1st Reading in each Chamber.
  • Sent to Committee. Committee hearings are optional, but we hope the committees will choose to hold hearings and vote the bills out of committee and back to the full chamber. If no action is taken, the bill dies in committee. Click on the committee names below, where the ERA has typically been sent, to see who serves on each committee. While you’re there you can see what other bills have been assigned to the committee and subscribe to get email updates about committee actions.
    • House Judiciary Committee.
    • Senate Rules Committee; historically this is the committee bills have been sent to to die, but we have plenty of ERA friends on this committee, too!
  • When a Committee approves a bill, it returns to the full chamber for 2nd Reading & Debate
  • 3rd Reading & More Debate in Chamber
  • Bill Moves to Other Body (repeat process)
  • Other Body Approves Bill
  • Bill is Ratified!

When an amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified by the NC General Assembly, it doesn’t require the Governor’s signature.

In the case of the Equal Rights Amendment, we also need action at the Federal level to lift the time limit unfortunately written into the preamble back in 1972 by North Carolina’s own Senator Sam Ervin. Currently there are bills in Congress to do just that. You can also read and track those online at Congress.gov; just type “Equal Rights Amendment” in the search box and it will bring up what bills are live in this Congressional session. There are bills to lift the time limit as well as bills to start the amendment process over from the beginning. The U.S. House of Representatives has repeatedly passed bills to lift the time limit, but the U.S. Senate continues to squash the sister bill.

ERA advocates have finally achieved the required ratification by 38 states when Virginia ratified on January 27, 2020. Lawsuits are pending by both pro- and anti-ERA forces. The ERA-NC Alliance has signed on to the ERA Coalition’s amici briefs.

We will continue to post updates and calls to action as events unfold! Sign up for our monthly news and action letter to stay up to date on developments.

Ratification Bills Introduced

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Ratification Bills Introduction Day – March 5th, 2019

Bills to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment were introduced in both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly on March 5th. ERA-NC Alliance organized a statewide presence in Raleigh, with ERA advocates from the coast to the mountains on hand to witness the introductions and to encourage every single member of the General Assembly to sign on as a co-sponsor. A panel discussion was held in the NCGA Equal Rights Caucus featuring Eleanor Smeal of the Feminist Majority, and Carol Jenkins and Bettina Hager of the ERA Coalition, with ERA-NC Alliance co-president Joanna Wade as moderator. That was followed by a press conference with the bills’ primary sponsors and many co-sponsors present. A mobile billboard organized by Alliance Lead Organization, League of Women Voters of NC, also circled the capitol throughout the day!

Press Conference video:

Equal Rights Caucus video:

Video courtesy of Brave Lens Films, Inc.

 

Make Calls on March 5th

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ERA bills will be introduced in the NCGA on March 5th, 2019
Can’t make it to the NC General Assembly on March 5th but want to be part of the action?

You can contact the legislators representing your county to let them know that you strongly support the Equal Rights Amendment and expect them to do the same.

Here are some key points to cover (although we hope you will use your own voice, stories, and perspective!):

  • There will never be equal rights in this country until all laws apply to citizens regardless of their sex.
  • The laws we thought might protect women have not been strictly applied.
  • Families’ very economic survival depends on non-discrimination in hiring, paying, promoting, and providing a safe working environment for everyone, including women.
  • North Carolina should be the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
  • The bill to ratify the ERA is being introduced on March 5th. Once introduced, there is a very short time for legislators to sign on as co-sponsors. We urge you to indicate your support as soon as possible. Please visit the NCGA Dashboard to digitally co-sponsor the ERA ratification bills that were filed today (March 5). 
  • If you are on the committee where the bill lands, we urge you to:
    • request a public hearing on the bill
    • pass it out of committee with a favorable report
    • call for this bill to come up for a vote!

Legislators’ individual addresses can be found at www.NCleg.gov, click on ‘District Representation’, ‘Find your legislator’, scroll down to “representation by County”, enter your county, click on the names for both office and home mailing addresses.  An in-person visit is always best, but emails and phone calls also count!

Thank you for joining us in this work!

EVENT: MARCH 5th AT THE NCGA

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WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: ERA 2019
One more state. Not one more genERAtion!

Still fighting for constitutional equalityNorth Carolina has the historic chance to become the 38th and final state required to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and change the U.S. Constitution. The ERA supports families by helping to combat wage inequities, protect pregnant women in the workplace, and protect against domestic violence and sexual assault.

Senator Floyd B. McKissick Jr. and Representative Carla Cunningham will introduce bills to ratify the ERA in both the NC House and Senate on March 5th, and you’re welcome to join us! (If you can’t join us in Raleigh, scroll down for other ways you can participate!)

EVENT: Women’s History Month: ERA 2019

DATE: Tuesday, March 5

TIME: 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

LOCATION: North Carolina General Assembly, 16 W. Jones St., Raleigh, N.C.

 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

  • Advocates to distribute materials to legislators
  • Advocates to serve as a presence in the House and Senate galleries
  • Silent Sentinels in ERA apparel to flank doors of leadership offices and building entrance steps throughout the afternoon.
  • Volunteers to bring signs and fill the lawn and General Assembly.

Join our Facebook event and let us know you’re coming!

Schedule of Events:

  • 12:30 p.m. Advocates gather for instructions on the First Floor in the 1300 quadrant to the left as you enter the NCGA building, Jones Street entrance.
  • 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Press conference in Press Room, 1300 quadrant, to announce filing of ERA bills.
  • 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Advocates distribute ERA materials to legislators and ask them to co-sponsor bills.
  • 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Advocates may seat themselves in the House and Senate galleries. The presence of ERA Advocates will be announced by legislators from the floor in both chambers.

4:00 p.m. Senate expected to convene

4:45 p.m. House expected to convene

 

Additional Details:

Apparel: White apparel with touches of green or ERA-NC Alliance T-shirts are welcome. Remember to wear the sash you created as part of our #SashTag Challenge! And bring extras. A limited number of white ribbons will be available.

Rules of the legislature: www.ncleg.gov/Files/about/buildingrules.pdf

Rules of special note: No signs on sticks allowed. No oversize signs. In the galleries, no signs or food and beverages at all.

Security: Everyone must pass through security at entrances, front and back of building (LB)

Parking, directions and dining information: www.ncleg.gov/About/Visitorinfo

Please share this invitation with everyone you know! See you there.

#SashTag ChallengeCan’t join us at the General Assembly that day? Here’s how you can still take action!

For those not able to make it to the legislature, there is the #Sashtag Challenge, details linked in message. Excerpt from: http://www.facebook.com/events/575772219555843/

     If you can’t make it to Raleigh, post photos of yourself and your sash on March 5, saying “I support equal rights for all. Ratify the ERA!” #SashTag and #ALLforERA

Also, we have petitions listed on the site that can be sent to the NC Speaker of the House, NC Senate President Pro-tempore, and any legislator that represents one of your members.  https//www.era-nc.org/nc-ratification-petition/

And a postcard that can be sent can be found here: Postcard House Parties https://www.era-nc.org/postcards/

Contact info for legislators and leaders is at:

NC House: http://www.ncleg.gov/House

NC Senate: http://www.ncleg.gov/Senate

NC Speaker of the House: Rep. Tim Moore http://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/339

NC Senate President Pro-Tempore: Phil Berger http://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/64

House Rules Chair: http://www.ncleg.gov/Committees/CommitteeInfo/HouseStanding/2

Senate Rules Chair: http://www.ncleg.gov/Committees/CommitteeInfo/SenateStanding/148

Again, we thank you for your support of the ERA!