The United States House of Representatives recently voted to remove the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The ERA simply states that, “Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any other state on account of sex.” The House passed this bill 222 to 204 on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. It was a bipartisan bill. Last year, the Bill was passed and sent to the Senate but Mitch McConnell would not allow it on the floor for debate. Originally added to the preamble of the ERA by members of Congress in 1972, when the amendment was passed and sent to the states for ratification a time limit was not part of the amendment’s language ratified by the states.
It is important to note that Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale voted against the deadline extension. I have written to him to ask why he opposes equality for women but have not yet had a response. I
would encourage others to also write and ask him his reasons for not considering women to be equal to or have the same rights as men in the United States.
The Senate will take up SJ Res 1 within the next couple of weeks. Montanans who care about equality need to contact our two senators, Mr. Tester and Mr. Daines, and urge them to vote yes to the deadline resolution. It should be noted that Mr. Tester was in favor of the bill last year and deserves a thank you for his support of women’s equality.
This amendment was first proposed in 1923. It is past time for it to become the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Gerrie Beck
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Letter to the Editor 4/14/21