Quick History...
Passed by Congress on March 22, 1972, the ERA fell three votes short of a constitutional majority before the original deadline. A renewed effort to extend the deadline has gained momentum recently. Meryl Streep made news when she sent a copy of the book "Equal Means Equal" to each member of Congress. Actress Patricia Arquette produced a documentary of the same name to personalize the need for gender equality (available on Amazon and iTunes). A resolution to remove the ERA deadline is already pending in the current Congress (SJR5). Illinois Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin are co-sponsors.
Most exciting, Nevada ratified the ERA on March 22, 2017. Only two more states to go!
Illinois has come close to ratifying the ERA several times over the decades, but our state's super-majority requirement of 3/5's has proved a formidable challenge. In 2014, the Illinois Senate approved ratification, but a vote was not called in the House when the headcount was short at the end of the term. Ironically, the Illinois state constitution already prohibits discrimination by gender, but our state hasn't approved such dignity for the rest of the country.
Please share this website with your friends around the state. Unite in solidarity!
Passed by Congress on March 22, 1972, the ERA fell three votes short of a constitutional majority before the original deadline. A renewed effort to extend the deadline has gained momentum recently. Meryl Streep made news when she sent a copy of the book "Equal Means Equal" to each member of Congress. Actress Patricia Arquette produced a documentary of the same name to personalize the need for gender equality (available on Amazon and iTunes). A resolution to remove the ERA deadline is already pending in the current Congress (SJR5). Illinois Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin are co-sponsors.
Most exciting, Nevada ratified the ERA on March 22, 2017. Only two more states to go!
Illinois has come close to ratifying the ERA several times over the decades, but our state's super-majority requirement of 3/5's has proved a formidable challenge. In 2014, the Illinois Senate approved ratification, but a vote was not called in the House when the headcount was short at the end of the term. Ironically, the Illinois state constitution already prohibits discrimination by gender, but our state hasn't approved such dignity for the rest of the country.
Please share this website with your friends around the state. Unite in solidarity!