At its 2022 Annual Convention, the delegates of the Rowan County Democratic Party unanimously and enthusiastically approved the adoption of the following resolution in support of ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Originally submitted by Pat Sledge of the Spencer Precinct, this resolution will now go to the District Convention for consideration before being presented to the Platform Committee of the North Carolina Democratic Party.
A Resolution for Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
WHEREAS, women, who constitute over 51% of the population of North Carolina (NC), play an essential and irreplaceable role in society, contributing to our economy and advancing our nation in both public and private realms; and
WHEREAS women continue to confront workplace discrimination, wage inequities, health care inequities, higher rates of poverty, rape and domestic violence assaults. A lack of political parity, and other forms of sex-based discrimination that are particularly compounding issues for Black women, Latinas, Indigenous and Native American women, immigrants, LGBTQ+ women, single mothers, and women in the military services; and
WHEREAS, state and federal anti-discrimination laws are not uniform or comprehensive, and can be repealed, amended, or ineffectively applied by the courts; and
WHEREAS the ERA is essential for correcting systemic sex discrimination since it would guarantee that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex” and
WHEREAS, the last three state ratifications of the thirty-eight needed to pass the ERA were procured – Nevada in 2017, Illinois in 2018 and Virginia in 2020; however, the National Archivist refused to publish and certify the ratifications without a court order based on a 2020 opinion for the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), US Department of Justice; and
WHEREAS, on January 26, 2022, the OLC issued a new memorandum that the 2020 opinion was not an obstacle to Congressional action on ratification, followed with a statement from President Biden calling on Congress to recognize ratification of the ERA; and
WHEREAS, H.Res. 891 was introduced resolving that in the sense of the US House, the ERA had met the necessary requirements and become valid as the 28th Amendment; and
WHEREAS, ERA ratifications bills were introduced in the NC General Assembly in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we call on the NC General Assembly to ratify the ERA in order to join the growing list of states supporting a guarantee of equal constitutional rights to all citizens without regard to their sex; and
BE IT RESOLVED, that we call on the OLC to withdraw the 2020 opinion and the National Archivist to publish and certify the ERA as the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call on Congress to act immediately to pass H.Res. 891 recognizing ratification of the ERA, and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that we support efforts to pass S.J.Res. 1, joining the US House in lifting the time limit to remove any questions about timing.
Originally read, approved and adopted on this the 12th day of February, 2022, by the Spencer Precinct of the Rowan County Democratic Party.
Read, approved and adopted on this the 19th day of March, 2022, by the Rowan County Democratic Party at its 2022 Annual County Convention.
Submitted to the State Resolutions and Platform Committee by Dianne Sartiano, Secretary,
Rowan County Democratic Party, on March 23th, 2022.