It has been 37 years, almost to the month, since Congress sent a proposed constitutional amendment for women’s rights to the states. The Equal Rights Amendment created 10 years of intense debate and progressive advocacy that almost seems retro today.
But only 35 states ratified the amendment during this historic wake, just three states shy of what’s needed to make an alteration to the U.S. Constitution.
As one of those states where the measure remains unratified, Louisiana has long been a target. Despite disagreements among legal scholars that the amendment still has a life (five states have since rescinded their approving votes), a group of Democratic lawmakers are planning to file the appropriate resolutions during the regular session that convenes later this month. Sen. Yvonne Dorsey of Baton Rouge and Rep. Rosalind Jones of Monroe have both committed as sponsors.
Anne K. Taylor of Baton Rouge, state president of the American Association of University Women, says extensions and renewals have been filed in practically every Congress since 1972 and Louisiana’s ratification could piggyback on those efforts. And even though the Supreme Court essentially ruled the original 1972 measure dead, it has yet to weigh in on the extensions.
More importantly, she adds, it’s time for Louisiana to take a stand.
“This is very important for the country and Louisiana,” Taylor says. “We need to say right up front in the U.S. Constitution that we think everyone should be treated under the law.”
If debates in other states are any indication of what to expect, heated conversations about everything from abortion to lesbian marriage are on tap. Taylor, for one, says these topics are usually among the most controversial to come out of policy exchanges on the equal rights amendment – but she counters that they aren’t necessarily relevant. Critics also contend the proposed amendment would impact the Armed Forces, alter the way Social Security benefits are doled out to widows and possibly change the way divorce laws are interpreted.
The regular session begins on April 27.
