Category Archives: ERA

February 2019 Newsletter

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ERA Dead and Buried in 1982, Exhumed in Georgia

ERA History in Georgia
1975 Georgia Senate defeated ERA 33-22.
1982 Georgia House of Representatives defeated it 116-57.
2018 H.R. 969 died in the House Judiciary Committee.

S.R. 55 by Democrat Senator Nan Orrock and S.R. 66 by Republican Senator Rene Unterman were introduced in Georgia in January to ratify the national Equal Rights Amendment, which failed to pass during the seven-year time limit in the 1970s and a three-year extension that ended in 1982. Each bill contains only 125 words that include this 24-word key statement:
“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

Although the national ERA failed to pass, ERA’s adverse effect on females have become evident in states that, subsequently, passed a state ERA.

ACTION – Oppose. Ask Senate Judiciary Committee members to vote NO on S.R. 55 and S.R. 66. Call area code 404 to reach Senators: Stone Ch., 463-1314; Cowsert, V-Ch., 463-1366; Tillery, Sec., 656-0089; Heath, 656-3943; Jones II, 463-3942; Kennedy, 656-0045; Ligon, Jr., 463-1383; Parent, 656-5109; Rhett, 656-0054; Strickland 656-7454.

H.R. 16 by Democrat Representative Billy Mitchell, also introduced in January, uses the language of the March 15, 2005 Start Over Resolutions* to renew the ratification process.
ACTION – Oppose H.R. 16. Use area code 404 to call House Judiciary Committee Representatives Fleming, Ch., 656-5125; Jones, V-Ch., 656-0213; Kelley, Sec., 656-5024; Nix, Ex-Officio, 656-5146; Bruce, 656-7859; Dreyer, 656-0265; Efstration, 656-5105; Holcomb, 656-6372; Oliver, 656-0265; Powell, 656-5141; Reeves, 651-7737; Rich, 656-0254; Rutledge, 656-0254; Scoggins, 656-0325; Silcox, 656-3949; Stephenson, 656-0126; Welch, 656-5912; Wilensky, 656-0202; and Wilson, 656-6372.

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February 1, 2019 Weekly Commentary

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Danger: ERA Introduced in Georgia

Georgia Insight’s Weekly Commentary, February 1, 2019 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

On March 22, 1972, Congress passed a bill to add an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution, if three-fourths (38) of the states ratified it within seven years. When that bill passed, former two-term Georgia senator Jimmy Carter, was governor of Georgia, and was elected to a four-year term as U.S. President in 1977.  Those are compelling facts, specifically, because (a) the ERA passed Congress during Mr. Carter’s term as Georgia’s Governor and (b) the ratification process was during and extended beyond his time in the presidency.  Despite the Georgia native’s powerful positions during that time, the ERA never passed in his home state.

While those facts are significant, another compelling story must be considered when S.R. 55 and S.R. 66 are considered in committee.  This story involves James H. Floyd, Chattooga County’s representative for 22 years before his 1974 fatal heart attack.  He was nick-named “Sloppy” because his over-sized high school football jersey was too big for his skinny frame.

“Sloppy” Floyd lived when men could address women as “Honey” without being called sexist, and that’s what he did.  After Decatur resident Eliza Paschal asked the House committee to pass the ERA, Mr. Floyd said, “Honey, tell me what you want to do that Georgia law won’t let you do, and I’ll fix it.”  I don’t know how she answered him, but that question swirled round-and-round in her mind until she realized this: There was no Georgia law that kept her from doing whatever she wanted to do, simply, because she was a woman. Continue reading →

June 29, 2018 Radio Commentary

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ERA: Dead Bill Walking

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, June 29, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

This year’s General Assembly did a good thing by letting H.R. 217 and S.R. 195 die in committee. Those bills would have resurrected the Equal Rights Amendment Congress passed in 1972, but the states never ratified. Section One of the ERA says, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” Since that sentence mentions sex, but not women, it does nothing to protect women.

Section Two says, “The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.” So, consider this: No one knows EXACTLY how Congress would have mandated equality of law for males and females in 1972 and no one knows EXACTLY how Congress would interpret equality based on sex in 2018, when sexual identity of male and female has been replaced with identities based on behavior.

Adding the ERA to the U.S. Constitution would mean every law that protects women would be unconstitutional. Women would be expected … and some already are expected … to hoist and carry any load a man can carry, fight alongside men in the military and get used to the idea that equality based on sex would mean everyone could use the same private facilities at the same time. Continue reading →

February 2018 Newsletter

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OPPOSE the ERA, It has Dire National Consequences

The ERA does not mention women; it does not put women in the U.S. Constitution. The ERA puts the word “sex” in the U.S. Constitution.

H.R. 969, introduced in the Georgia General Assembly January 29, 2018, is an attempt by Democrats to ratify a federal Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in Georgia. Almost 50 years after it was introduced in 1923, Congress passed ERA, a proposed constitutional amendment, in 1972. Since constitutional amendments must be ratified by three-fourths (38) of the 50 states, a seven-year time limit for ratification was attached to the proposal. At the end of seven years, only 35 states had ratified ERA, leaving them three states short of ratification. During a three-year time-limit extension, no other state ratified ERA and, thankfully, it failed.

ACTION – OPPOSE H.R. 969. Call House Judiciary Committee Representatives Willard, Ch., 404 656-5125; Fleming, V-Ch., 656-0152; Kelley, Sec., 657-1803; Beskin, 656-0254; Caldwell, 656-0152; Golick, 656-5943; Hanson, 656-0325; Powell, 656-5103; Rutledge, 656-0254; Welch, 656-5912; Nix 656-5146 (Ex officio). (These are the 9 Republicans on the 16-member committee.)

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