SUPPORTING THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT

Whereas, women still do not have constitutional equality; and

Whereas, 46 years ago in 1972, Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which states: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States by any state on account of sex”; and Congress sent it to the states for ratification by a minimum of 38 states; and

Whereas, the ERA will benefit all genders in areas of civil rights, employment rights, healthcare access, and legal system reforms; and

Whereas, by 1977, 35 states had ratified the ERA, leaving ratification necessary by only three remaining states; and

Whereas, because of the STOP ERA movement created and led by Phyllis Schlafly, an Illinois resident, no additional state, including Illinois, voted to ratify, even after Congress extended the deadline to June 30, 1982; and

Whereas, since 1972, the Supreme Court has found numerous laws unconstitutional because of discrimination against women, leading Ruth Bader Ginsburg to write in a 1996 decision, “Neither federal nor state government acts compatibly with equal protection when a law or official policy denies to women, simply because they are women, full citizenship stature;” and

Whereas, in 2017, Nevada voted as the 36th state to ratify; and

Whereas, on April 11, 2018, the Illinois Senate voted 43-12 to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, leaving only the Illinois House vote necessary for Illinois ratification; and

Whereas, many Illinois unions and social groups are publicly advocating for the ratification of the ERA:

Resolved, that the American Federation of Teachers will send a statement of support to the Illinois House of Representatives; and

Resolved, that the AFT will advocate for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and urge the AFL-CIO to do so as well.