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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.

The ERA-NC Alliance was at many of North Carolina’s Women’s Marches on May 14th. We were there to draw attention to the fact that women’s lack of Constitutional protection has led to what may be the overturning of Roe v. Wade. If forced pregnancy isn’t sex discrimination, what is?

Asheville, NC

Asheville Citizen-Times coverage

Alliance Co-President, Jimmie Cochran Pratt made a brief statement to a crowd of more than 200, emphasizing the need for the Equal Rights Amendment to protect women from having their rights stripped away.

Charlotte, NC

The Rally had approximately 2000 people attend. Speakers included Lori Bunton, Co-President of the ERA-NC Alliance who spoke about how the ERA could help protect all reproductive rights and asked the rally goers to sign a petition to President Biden asking him to instruct the National Archivist to publish the ERA and announce that the ERA is the 28th Amendment. In addition, NCGA Legislator Rachel Hunt spoke about the need to not allow the Republicans to have a Super Majority this fall as they could override vetoes from Gov Cooper.

Salisbury

Salisbury Post news coverage

Board member, Pat Sledge attended the Rowan County march and reports that a number of young women took the mic and addressed the crowd. The white male social studies teacher mentioned in the article pointed out that the people trying to take away women‘s rights are, for the most part, white men.

Winston-Salem

ERA-NC Alliance Co-President, Lori Bunton, recently recorded a new video about the current status of the Equal Rights Amendment.

ERA Support Resolution

It’s that time again – time for precincts across the state to pass resolutions encouraging our political parties to support North Carolina ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment!

Here is a resolution you can download and introduce at your precinct meetings – it’s completely non-partisan, just like equal protection under the Constitution for all Americans is non-partisan.

2022 ERA Precinct Resolution

The Equal Rights Amendment, which was introduced nearly 100 years ago, became enforceable as the 28th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution on Thursday, Jan. 27. The amendment, passed in January 2020 when Virginia became the final state to ratify, gave federal and state governments exactly two years to bring their statutes into alignment.

Equal rights advocates and state legislators put the North Carolina General Assembly on notice Thursday that most state statutes need review under the newly enforceable 28th Amendment/ERA.

[Read more…] about A New Day for the ERA