house resolution no.240

Reps. Kuppa, Elder, Sowerby, Camilleri, Peterson, Haadsma, Coleman, Garza, Hammoud, Tyrone Carter, Shannon, Cherry, Sabo, Tate, Hoadley, Ellison, Byrd, Hertel, Koleszar, Robinson, Liberati, Sneller, Chirkun, LaGrand, Rabhi, Wittenberg, Manoogian, Pohutsky, Gay-Dagnogo, Hood, Vaupel, Cynthia Johnson, Mueller, Stone, Kennedy, Lasinski, Brenda Carter, Hope, Greig, Guerra, Cambensy, Jones, Brixie, Witwer, Garrett, Clemente, Whitsett, Anthony, Yancey, Love and Warren offered the following resolution:

A resolution to encourage Congress to extend the ratification deadline of the Equal Rights Amendment and affirm the amendment’s adoption.

Whereas, The Equal Rights Amendment, first introduced in 1923 after the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment securing women the right to vote, proposed to establish equal rights for men and women. The Equal Rights Amendment was considered a logical next step in ensuring women fair treatment and equal access to opportunity, and remains necessary today; and

Whereas, A half century later, the Equal Rights Amendment was approved by Congress and proposed to the states for ratification in 1972. The amendment’s proposing clause included a seven-year deadline for ratification, which Congress later extended; and

Whereas, The Michigan Legislature adopted HJR LLL in 1972 to ratify the amendment. Between 1972 and 1982, 34 more state legislatures approved the amendment, three states short of the number required for ratification; and

Whereas, There has been a renewed interest in ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment in recent years. In 2017 and 2018, respectively, the Nevada and Illinois legislatures ratified the amendment. In January 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the amendment; and

Whereas, The Equal Rights Amendment has met the constitutional requirement for ratification under Article V of the United States Constitution. It has been properly ratified by three fourths of the legislatures of the states; and

Whereas, In order to reflect the will of the states, Congress needs to repeal or extend the original 1979 ratification deadline, an action it has taken for previous amendments. Under Article V, Congress has the broad authority to extend the deadline; and

Whereas, It has been almost a century since the Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced. It is long past time that we guarantee equality, security, and prosperity for women and men; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we encourage Congress to extend the ratification deadline of the Equal Rights Amendment and affirm the amendment’s adoption; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.