What Is The E.R.A. - Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was first written by Dr. Alice Paul in 1923 and would provide blanket protection from sex discrimination in our Constitution. The ERA is a non-partisan human rights issue.
The Equal Rights Amendment:
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Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
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Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
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Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
The ERA was approved by Congress in 1972 and sent out to the states for ratification, with an arbitrary deadline of 7 years attached (this was later extended to 10 years).
In 1982, the extension expired 3 states short of the 38 needed for ratification.
The Equal Rights Amendment is not in the U.S. Constitution.
E.R.A. In The News
34 years later, Nevada lawmakers revisit Equal Rights Amendment, taking another swing at ensuring women and men equality under the law. Nevada legislators advanced a 45-year-old proposal Wednesday seeking to amend the U.S. Constitution.