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TESTIMONY ON S.R. 4 BEFORE U.S. SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
FROM THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT NORTH CAROLINA ALLIANCE
FEBRUARY 2023

My name is Roberta Madden; I am a co-founder and board member of the Equal Rights Amendment North Carolina Alliance. For more than six decades, I have worked to make the Equal Rights Amendment part of the United States Constitution. Previously living in Iowa, Tennessee, Louisiana and other states, I personally experienced sex discrimination. I was unable to obtain a credit card in my own name. I was excluded from jury service. I was paid three-fourths of the wages earned by men for the same job. Without the Equal Rights Amendment, women had no legal recourse.

The ERA North Carolina Alliance is proud to support Senate Resolution 4—a simple proposal.

[Read more…] about ERA-NC Alliance Testimony on S.R. 4

The UNC Daily Tarheel interviewed ERA-NC Alliance co-president, Lori Bunton, as well as two of our partner organization leaders, Antionette Kerr, Women AdvaNCe’s co-director, and Judy Lotas, former Alliance board member and currently State Co-Chairperson for the ERA in the League of Women Voters.

“We really have a goal right now of seeing that North Carolina becomes a state where women have the same rights and same equality as men,” Bunton said.

Read the full article, “Fifty years after Congress passed Equal Rights Amendment, still not part of Constitution,” by Maggie McIntyre, on their website.

The Nominations Committee of the Alliance is seeking candidates for Officers and Directors to serve a 2-year term. Any Individual Member who is in Good Standing according to the bylaws may be eligible to be nominated as an Officer or Director.

[Read more…] about Call for Nominees!

Even Year Elections Process

1. ELIGIBILITY: Any Individual Member or designated representative of Lead Organizations who is in good standing according to the Bylaws, (Article IV, Section 5. – GOOD STANDING) may be eligible to be nominated for election as an Officer or Director of the Board. This means the member must meet all membership eligibility requirements and be duly registered by the Alliance (resident of NC, current dues-paying member, 18 years of age or older).
2. COMPOSITION AND ELECTION OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS:
   1. At the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Full Membership Body, the body will elect eight (8) Officers and three (3) Directors to the Board of Directors to replace those members who terms expire at the end of 2022 and any unfilled terms of other Board vacancies. The three (3) newly elected members shall be elected to serve for the 2023-2024 term (2 years) by a quorum of the Full Membership Body with a vote of:
      1. Individual Members who are afforded one vote each.
      2. Designated Representatives of Lead Organizations afforded one vote each.
   2. A quorum of the Full Membership Body is ten (10) percent of the total of Individual Members and Lead Organizations designated representatives in good standing as of the date of the annual meeting.
3. TERMS OF SERVICE: The terms of the Board of Directors and Officers shall be two (2) years. No Director or Officer shall serve more than two (2) full consecutive terms. A Director or Officer who has left the Board because of a term limit may be reelected or reappointed to the Board after a period of one (1) year. Directors and Officers may serve a third consecutive two-year term upon a special vote of the Full Membership Body at an annual meeting.
4. ELECTIONS: The annual meeting will be on November 19, 2022. Elections will be held at the annual meeting. Those elected will take office January 1, 2023.
   1. Eligible members interested in running for Directors and Officers will self-declare as candidates, sending a concise biography with a photo to the Nominating Committee Chair in a message that also designates the position for which they are running by September 1, 2022.
   2. The Nominations Committee will coordinate efforts to ensure that the eligible, self-declared candidates for Directors and Officers are posted on the ERA-NC Alliance website. The Nominations Committee will interview candidates for Board positions and nominate a slate. Other nominations for Directors and Officers can be made from the floor at the annual meeting.
5. ELECTIONS & ANNUAL MEETING DEADLINES:

Aug 1- Election Process posted on website and candidacy recruitment letter goes out.

Sept 18 – All candidate names, bios and photos are to be submitted to the Nominating Committee Chair

Oct 1 – All Candidates received to date will be vetted for eligibility

Oct 18 – All candidates’ names will be posted to website (30 days before meeting)

Nov 1 – All eligible voters will have submitted appropriate membership forms to VP Membership to be received and duly registered in advance of the Annual Meeting.

Nov 19 – Annual Meeting (nominations can be taken from the floor)

6. JOB DESCRIPTIONS:

DIRECTORS:   

The Directors shall have all powers and authority to manage the business, property, and affairs of the Alliance; and to perform such lawful actions and duties as it deems proper and appropriate to promote the purposes and objectives of the Alliance. The Board of Directors may delegate, as necessary from time to time, responsibility for such affairs, business, and property to the Executive Council. Directors appoint chairs of standing or ad hoc committees by a majority vote unless otherwise specified by the bylaws. Directors are expected to attend meetings and actively serve on committees to include acting as committee chairs when appointed/elected.

OFFICERS:

Co-Presidents shall be the chief officers of the Alliance and shall jointly have general charge and supervision over and responsibility for the affairs of the Alliance. Each Co-President will act in the absence of the other or with written notification by the other that she/he is unable to carry out her/his duties. The Co-Presidents shall perform all the duties required and may interchangeably preside over all meetings, sign all official documents, and execute all other duties that usually devolve upon a president.

Vice-President, Fundraising shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the Co-Presidents or at their request. The Vice President, Fundraising shall serve as Chair of the Fundraising Committee. The Vice-President, Fundraising shall succeed to the office of Co-President in the event of a vacancy in that office during the two-year term of office.

Vice-President, Public Relations shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the Co-Presidents and Vice-President, Fundraising. The Vice-President, Public Relations shall serve as Chair of the Public Relations Committee. The Vice-President, Public Relations shall succeed to the office of Co-President in the event of vacancies in the offices of Co-Presidents and First Vice-President.

Vice-President, Membership shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the Co-Presidents and Vice-President, Fundraising and Vice President, Public Relations. The Vice-President, Membership shall serve as Chair of the Membership Committee. The Vice-President, Membership shall succeed to the office of Co-President in the event of vacancies in the offices of Co-Presidents and of the Vice-President, Fundraising and Vice-President, Public Relations.

Vice-President, Legislation shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the Co-Presidents and other Vice-Presidents. The Vice-President, Legislation shall serve as Chair of the Legislative Committee. The Vice-President, Legislation shall succeed to the office of Co-President in the event of vacancies in the offices of Co-Presidents and the other Vice-Presidents.

Secretary shall keep all minutes of the meetings of the Alliance. The Secretary shall perform such other duties and possess such powers as are incidental to the office or as shall be assigned by the Co-Presidents or the Board of Directors.

Treasurer shall accurately keep all financial records, maintain all banking accounts, make deposits, issue properly authorized payments, and make regular written and oral reports on money received and expended to the Board of Directors or Executive Council as directed. The Treasurer shall make all records available for audit and shall turn over all records to the succeeding Treasurer within thirty (30) business days of the end of the term of office.