With a 39-11 vote, the Illinois Senate voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) during the 2014 Spring Illinois Legislative Session. If ratified in the Illinois House, Illinois will become the 36th state to ratify the ERA. Fortunately the Illinois House adjourned for summer recess before it could vote on the ERA Amendment.
However, there is a possibility that the ERA will be called during the lame duck veto session sometime between November 19 – 21 and December 2 – 4.
For those who are too young or too old to remember the ERA:
- Passage of the ERA would add these words to the U.S. Constitution: “Equality of rights under law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.”
- The ERA would remove all legal distinction between sexes. Men and women would be treated identical in value as well as in nature. The ERA would also integrate same-sex and bi-sexual attraction into the U.S. Constitution.
- The ERA could very well affect almost every area of life including Social Security, Medicare, Health, and insurance benefits, and Medicare benefits,
- The Time Limit for ratification of the ERA ended in 1979, but Congress granted an extension to 1982. In 1981, a U.S. District Court ruled the extension was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court, dismissed the extension as moot.
- From 1972 – 1982 the Illinois General Assembly voted NO on ERA 13 times.
Pro-ERA proponents are gearing up behind the scenes to ratify ERA in Illinois.
This issue is what launched CWA in 1978. We stand strong and will not back down!
Let’s stop the ERA once and for all!
Please pray
- The Equal Rights Amendment will never be ratified.
- Illinois State Representatives will uphold the rule of law and rights of the states in protecting the rights of women
Take action
- Contact your Illinois State Representative. Click here to find out their name and contact information.
- If they respond to you indicating how they plan to vote, if it comes up in the lame duck session, please be sure to inform me. I will then pursue them accordingly.
- Be prepared to write a Letters to the Editor if there is any indication that this is going to go for a vote. I will be sure to keep you informed.