Women and Girls Deserve Better than the ERA
The Minnesota legislature is currently considering two bills to pass “Equal Rights” amendments, one to amend Minnesota Constitution and one calling on Congress to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. These amendments, under the banner of “equality,” would strip women of opportunities and could be used as the basis of a constitutional “right” to abortion.
Women already have equal rights under the 5th and 14th Amendments, and numerous Minnesota laws prohibit sex-based discrimination. These proposed amendments are unnecessary and would do far more harm than good.
The federal Equal Rights Amendment officially failed in 1982 when it passed the agreed upon deadline without the necessary 38 ratifying states. Minnesota’s SF 47 (HF197) urges Congress to pass a resolution stating that the Equal Rights Amendment is ratified, despite the fact that three of the ratifying states missed the deadline by over 35 years, and five other states rescinded their approval. Even a staunch supporter of the amendment, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, questioned the legitimacy of this tactic.
