Equal Rights Amendment North Carolina Alliance

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2025 ERA Advocacy Day

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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.

Rep Julie von Haefen“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. [Read more…] about 2025 ERA Advocacy Day

NCGA Bills Will Protect Marriage Equality

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Equality champion Rep. Deb Butler files two bills to protect same-sex marriage in N.C.

Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, North Carolina still has a ban on the books regarding same-sex marriage.

State Rep. Deb Butler’s first proposal, House Bill 174, would obliterate the ban and affirm the federal protections of all married couples, regardless of gender.

The second bill, House Bill 175, seeks a state constitutional amendment explicitly safeguarding marriage equality in North Carolina. This amendment would ensure protection even if the federal Supreme Court has second thoughts.

“Deb Butler has long been a champion for Equal Rights, so it came as no surprise to see her seek a state constitutional amendment to protect same-sex marriage in North Carolina,” said Marla Barthen, ERA-NC Alliance co-president and Butler’s constituent. “If you know her, you know she does not yield or back down on matters of equality.”

Given a shifting federal judiciary, North Carolina has the power to fortify civil rights protections for all its citizens. Butler said, “Marriage equality is a settled issue for the vast majority of Americans, and our state should reflect that reality. These bills are about ensuring dignity, security and legal protection for all families in the face of uncertainty at the federal level.”

We applaud Rep. Deb Butler for her strong support of human rights, from same-sex marriage security to equality for all through the 28th Amendment, formerly known as the Equal Rights Amendment.

N.C. Politics 2024

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Our goal for 2024? Turn the NCGA “pro-ERA”

Turning the NCGA “pro-women” means an all-out effort from everyone.

First things first: Find out the hard facts about the N.C. political landscape. Then, use those facts to turn the NCGA.

Join us on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 11 a.m., as political science expert Michael Bitzer sheds light on North Carolina voting patterns and what we can expect for 2024. Zoom in with us for the maps, the candidates, the drama, the scoop!

[Read more…] about N.C. Politics 2024

2023 Annual Meeting

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Equal Rights Amendment NC buttons

2023 ERA-NC Alliance Annual Meeting
Saturday, December 9
11 A.M. – Noon
Virtual meeting on Zoom

On behalf of the ERA-NC Alliance, we deeply thank you for your support of the ERA-NC Alliance.  We invite you to join us for the annual meeting on the status of the Equal Rights Amendment and Alliance activities in 2023, as well as elections of Directors for 2024-2025. [Read more…] about 2023 Annual Meeting

Silent Sentinels

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Several members of the ERA-NC Alliance attended the ongoing protest at the U.S. Department of Justice to encourage Attorney General Merrick Garland to remove former AG Bill Barr’s memo blocking the national archivist from publishing the ERA as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Here are a few photos from our days standing sentinel at the DOJ:

Equality Tour

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ERA-NC Alliance teams up with VoteEqualityUS for North Carolina Equality and Voter Tour
The ERA-NC Alliance has partnered with the non-profit VoteEqualityUS (VEUS) and the League of Women Voters NC for a multi-city tour across North Carolina through Election Day 2020.
The tour will launch in Rocky Mount on Sunday, Sept. 27, at Ebenezer Baptist Church on 702 W. Raleigh Rd. from 8:30-12.
VEUS is traveling the state in a colorful RV to talk about the importance of voting and the impact it will have on equality in the U.S. Constitution.  It will be an open, outdoor forum where volunteers will answer voting questions, give out election information and have conversations about candidates and their stances on the Equal Rights Amendment, all done in keeping with COVID guidelines.

[Read more…] about Equality Tour

Dads for Equality Action Alert!

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Here’s an action for Father’s Day! Download a postcard (or all four!) and share with all the Dads you know … and make the calls yourself to Senators Burr, Tillis and McConnell.

Dads for Equality 4 Dads for Equality 1
Download full-sized image here Download full-sized image here
Dads for Equality 1 Dads for Equality 4
Download full-sized image here Download full-sized image here

 

The contact information:

Sen. Thom Tillis
113 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6342
www.tillis.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me

Sen. Richard Burr
217 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3154 or (800) 685-8916
www.burr.senate.gov/contact

Sen. Mitch McConnell
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2541

2019 Annual Meeting

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You’re invited to attend the
ERA-NC Alliance Annual Meeting

Saturday, October 5, 2019
Noon – 4 pm
(Registration opens at 11:30 am)

Pilgrim United Church of Christ
3011 Academy Road
Durham, NC 27707
pilgrimucc-durham.org

Register for the Annual Meeting HERE.

Katie Hornung

Keynote Speaker: Kati Hornung

Kati Hornung is Campaign Coordinator for the state-wide, nonpartisan, grassroots VAratifyERA campaign working to ensure Virginia’s ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Her passion on the topic stems from her own life experiences and the interest of her two daughters in achieving constitutional equality. We are pleased to welcome her as our keynote speaker.

We will also celebrate our ERA Champion Award recipients, Joanna Wade, Partner with Winston & Strawn LLP and Julie von Haefen, NC Representative, District 36 (Wake Co.).

During our business meeting we will elect board new board members and review recommended by-laws changes. If you wish to be able to vote at the meeting, you must be a registered, dues-paid member by September 20th. You can easily join or renew your membership online. We are honoring the church’s request that no sales be conducted at the meeting, so we will not be selling t-shirts that day.

If you are interested in running for a position on the board, please review the call for candidates letter.

If you’d like to review the proposed bylaws changes, here are two documents to look at – changes within the full bylaws and proposed changes only.

We’ve arranged for group pricing at a nearby hotel for your convenience. When you register, just let them know you’re with the ERA-NC Alliance Annual Meeting group. Depending on participation, group pricing may end Sept. 20, so book now!

Comfort Inn University Durham/Chapel Hill
3508 Mt. Moriah Road
Durham, NC 27707
www.choicehotels.com/north-carolina/durham/comfort-inn-hotels

Stay tuned for more details!

June Action for the ERA

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The Equal Rights Amendment Bills, House Bill 271 and Senate Bill 184, are still active bills since constitutional amendments are exempt from crossover deadline.  In the next few weeks, please escalate personal visits, emails, letters, and calls with your elected representatives and senators in the NC General Assembly.  It needs to be a face-to-face visit, individualized mailing, or phone call.

First, if your representative or senator is a Republican, please express your insistence that he/she must get the ERA Bills out of committee with a favorable report because women’s rights are foundational to this country. [Read more…] about June Action for the ERA

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.