BIG!, HUGE!, ERA News Coming this Week

UpDate: Take backsies! The Big Huge ERA News is NOT NOT NOT Coming. Postponed. Indefinitely. Watch this space.

BIG!, HUGE!, ERA News Coming this Week.

Hop over the Virginia ERA Network Blog: Pay close attention to your feminist news feeds and sources on Wednesday, around 12:30 pm EDT or so. Maybe tune in to C-Span or MSNBC. You might have to hunt around. It is the ERA after all, and the mainstream press is not hot on that particular trail.

The 1st Woman President Needs Equal Rights!!!

Dear Virginia,

Happy ERA Monday, and Happy Presidents Day!! It’s a double day, and I have a double request of you.

First: Del. Mark Cole holds an open house at his office tomorrow, Feb. 17. Activists will be present as the weather allows,
but snow can’t stop email, or phone calls!!!

Click here for a post with a great email for Chair Cole and his contact information. Tell him the ERA MUST BE PUT ON THE DOCKET and moved into the full Privileges and Elections Committee.

Please, send the same email to Speaker Howell.

This committee is heavily resistant. We must push hard this week! On the same post, you can contact the whole committee.

When pressed, their objections tend to crumble down to traditional and fundamentalist forms of sexism. Show them that’s the only reason they could refuse us our rights.

Feel some tweetage coming on? Yeah, me too.

To tweet the House: @VaHouse.
To tweet the House GOP: @vahousegop.
To tweet the Hosue Dems: @VAHouseDems.

1st Woman #POTUS deserves full #civilrights, #RatifyERA, SJ 216 on the P&E docket!!

(*)   (*)   (*)

Second, in honor of Presidents Day, I ask you for one more action.

The fundamental political difference between the first woman president and all the men before her is that she might not enjoy fully protected civil rights under the Constitution she will swear to defend and protect.

Clinton? Warren? … Clinton/Warren?

Warren/Clinton? 
Who knows.

This week, let’s focus on the Senate.

Send them this email:
Email Page for Senator Warner
Email Page for Senator Kaine

 

 

Subject: Please Support Women’s Civil Rights, Lift the Deadline on Ratification

Dear Honorable Senator _______,

You serve with women who swear to protect and defend the Constitution, but are not fully protected by it. Our nation’s daughters have long risked their lives in our wars, but are not yet fully protected by that Constitution.

On this Presidents Day, consider: our next president could well be a woman — who still may not be fully invested with the civil rights enshrined in our laws.

This is an inconsistency that should not stand for one more year. This March when Senator Cardin offers a new resolution, please sign on to support it and then encourage your colleagues to do so — especially friendlier Republicans. Cardin aims for vigorous bi-partisan support.

Ratification of Equal Rights Amendment would accomplish one civil goal: it would mend the patchwork of laws that currently tack together the rag doll of women’s citizenship.

I urge you to join which would remove the historically aberrant and wholly arbitrary deadline on ratification.

Justices Scalia and Ginsberg agree on one thing: the 14th Amendment clearly applies only to “male citizens” and “male inhabitants” of the Republic. What “rights” women do have are only supported by laws and statutes — all of which can change given a hostile political wind.

Our nation’s women are caught in a stalemate. States wait for a signal from Congress, Congress for a signal from the states. Be first, lead, honor the nation’s women with fully established civil rights. Assure us that a future female president will not be so civilly vulneralby as women are today. Send the signal — it’s time for ratification. Lift the deadline.

Let the Constitution protect and defend our women as our women do the Constitution.

With my lasting gratitude for your service to our state and the nation,

Your Name
City, State

ERA Vote is Monday — Sample Email, 5 to Call NOW

Click here for the sample emails and contact info.

The Vote is Noon on Monday. We have very strong opposition, and we need this vote in order to move on to the House of Delegates — where we will need to double down.

Call today and Monday. Email and Tweet your hearts out over the weekend!

Thank you, Virginia!! For all the energy you have given, and all you will give. You are the ones we have been waiting for!

For women!

Simone Roberts, your friendly Web Editor, etc., etc., etc.

ERA, Make or Break Vote Tues 9am, then maybe at 4pm

CORRECTED!! ERA, SJ216 TO SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS, 9 AM TUESDAY, THIRD FLOOR EAST CONFERENCE ROOM AT THE GA.

IF SUCCESSFUL, BILL WILL MOVE THROUGH TO P&E (as below) AT 4 PM.

BOTH COMMITTEES NEED CONTACT FROM US, FROM AS MANY EQUALITY SUPPORTERS AS POSSIBLE.

CORRECTED COMMITTEE AND CONTACT INFORMATION BELOW.

Progress! Hurray! The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee has the ERA on its docket forTUESDAY, JANUARY 27TH AT 3 PM. All the Twitters and the email contacts below are focused for this committee and this vote on Tuesday.

Advocates from the whole WEA Coalition will be on hand to encourage these fine folks to approve SJ216  and move on to a vote in the Senate.

This vote makes or breaks the ERA for this year, advocates. No here means no cross-over, no vote in the House of Delegates. Done.

We need ERA YES on TUESDAY!!

Dems, Miller and Alexander need our support.

GOP, Martin, Smith, Reed, and Garrett (Chair) are not supportive. They must be papered with emails, tweets, phone calls.  We might be outvoted 4 to 2.  

NO HIDDEN VOTES ON CIVIL RIGHTS.
SJ216 MUSS PASS THROUGH.

Chair Vogel, of the P&E is very supportive of the Equal Rights Amendment.Though a Republican, and not with us on matters of choice, she has stated to Women Matter that she’ll staunchly support the bill.

Please be sure to email/tweet/call your support to her and thank for standing for standing with women for equality.

If you want to join our advocates at the General Assembly, they’re meeting at Senate Room A. Please,RSVP to this Facebook event.

ERAAction will lead an online campaign to tweet and message the committee: their Twitter, and their Facebook. Of course, we’ll be lighting up our social media on Monday and Tuesday, too.

To email the Constitutional Amendments Subcommittee and demand SJ216 pass through and move toward a public and proud vote in the Senate on this essential matter of civil rights for women. No hidden vote will be acceptable to the women of the Commonwealth.

Copy this list in your To Line: 

“Tom Garrett” <district22@senate.virginia.gov>, “Kenneth Alexander” <district05@senate.virginia.gov>, “John Miller” <district01@senate.virginia.gov>, “Bill Carrico” <district40@senate.virginia.gov>, “Steve Martin” <district11@senate.virginia.gov>, “Raplh Smith” <ralphsmithsenate@cox.net>, “Bryce Reeves” <district17@senate.virginia.gov>

Dems, Miller and Alexander need our support.

GOP, Martin, Smith, Reeves, and Garrett (Chair)
all unfriendly

Sample Text:

Dear Chairperson Garret and Honorable Members of the Subcommittee,I write simply to insist that SJ216 – on the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment -pass through and move toward a public and proud vote in the Senate on this essential matter of civil rights for women. No hidden vote will be acceptable to the women of the Commonwealth, and your support of women’s essential constitutional equality will be well remembered.

Women are not yet fully recognized citizens in the Constitution. That’s why we have this patch work of laws “protecting” us. We are not otherwise fully enfranchised citizens assure of our civil rights.The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is often cited as a reason not to pass the ERA because it provides equality, thus making the ERA no longer necessary (and one that Virginian legislators often point to). Unfortunately, Section 2 of the 14th Amendment goes to deliberate lengths to exclude women,  with the wording male citizen and male inhabitant 3. Exclusion of women from the 14th was carefully designed. The 19th Amendment would not have been necessary to give females the right to vote, had the 14th Amendment been written more inclusively.

The simplest route to reducing the number of public school children living in poverty — which interferes with learning — is to pay their mothers equally.

The Congress has passed four laws since the 1963 Equal Pay Act, in attempts to assure women pay equity in the workplace. All of these leave the burden on women to discover inequality and sue for compensation, rather than on the employer to be on the bright side of the law. The Equal Rights Amendment would give force to these laws. It would reduce the number of civil cases of women seeking compensation for lost wages. The ERA would assure women and families of an average increase of 23% more income–more in communities of color, where women earn as little as 64 cents to a white man’s dollar. Most of these women are mothers, and that missing  pay a real hardship for their children, leading to long-term educational deficits. This missing annual income also negatively affects women’s 401(k) contributions, and the Social Security they are saving for themselves. The ERA would increase middle class economic power in the present, put American school children in a better position to learn,  and reduce the number of economically stressed or poor senior citizens (most of whom are women) in the future.

There is no downside to this amendment. I invite you to read further on its benefits here: Virginia ERA Network.

With my thanks for your service to Commonwealth,

Your Name
Your Address

 *  *  *  *

Now, we also need to continue to contact the P&E Committee, which may get the bill at 4 pm Tuesday afternoon.

To email the (corrected) Senate Privileges and Elections Committee and ask them to move forward on ratification of the ERA, SJ216, here’s the email addresses and a sample text:Copy this list into your To line:

“Jill Holtzman Vogel” <district27@senate.virginia.gov >, “Bill Carrico” <district40@senate.virginia.gov>, “Creigh Deeds” <district25@senate.virginia.gov>, “Janet Howell” <district32@senate.virginia.gov>, “Steve Martin” <district11@senate.virginia.gov>, “Mark Obenshain” <district26@senate.virginia.gov>, “Bryce Reeves” <district17@senate.virginia.gov>, “John Edwards” <district21@senate.virginia.gov>, “A. Donald McEachin”  <district09@senate.virginia.gov>, “Ralph K. Smith” <district19@senate.virginia.gov>, “Thomas Garrett” <district22@senate.virginia.gov>, “Kenneth Alexander” <district05@senate.virginia.gov>, “John Miller” <district01@senate.virginia.gov>,”John Cosgrove” <district14@senate.virginia.gov>, “Rosalyn Dance” <district16@senate.virginia.gov>

The Senate Privileges and Elections committee 

meets when the senate is in session, 

Tuesday, 4:00 P.M. – Senate Room A 

in the General Assembly Building at 9th and Broad.

Sample Text:

Dear Chairperson Vogel and Honorable Members of the Committee,

I write to urge you to support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in 2015 (SJ216). The Equal Rights Amendment is a civil rights and economic stability issue for all women and communities in Virginia — and the nation.Women are not yet fully recognized citizens in the Constitution. That’s why we have this patch work of laws “protecting” us. We are not otherwise fully enfranchised citizens assure of our civil rights.

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is often cited as a reason not to pass the ERA because it provides equality, thus making the ERA no longer necessary (and one that Virginian legislators often point to). Unfortunately, Section 2 of the 14th Amendment goes to deliberate lengths to exclude women,  with the wording male citizen and male inhabitant 3. Exclusion of women from the 14th was carefully designed. The 19th Amendment would not have been necessary to give females the right to vote, had the 14th Amendment been written more inclusively.

The simplest route to reducing the number of public school children living in poverty — which interferes with learning — is to pay their mothers equally.

The Congress has passed four laws since the 1963 Equal Pay Act, in attempts to assure women pay equity in the workplace. All of these leave the burden on women to discover inequality and sue for compensation, rather than on the employer to be on the bright side of the law. The Equal Rights Amendment would give force to these laws. It would reduce the number of civil cases of women seeking compensation for lost wages. The ERA would assure women and families of an average increase of 23% more income–more in communities of color, where women earn as little as 64 cents to a white man’s dollar. Most of these women are mothers, and that missing  pay a real hardship for their children, leading to long-term educational deficits. This missing annual income also negatively affects women’s 401(k) contributions, and the Social Security they are saving for themselves. The ERA would increase middle class economic power in the present, put American school children in a better position to learn,  and reduce the number of economically stressed or poor senior citizens (most of whom are women) in the future.

There is no downside to this amendment. I invite you to read further on its benefits here: Virginia ERA Network.

I ask that you encourage and support your colleagues in the Senate, and especially the House of the Delegates, to bring the ERA to the floor for a public and affirmative vote for ratification. No matter of American’s civil rights should dealt with in secret. Stand proudly by your positions on women’s equality.

Work progresses, the meanwhile,  to lift the arbitrary deadline in the US Congress. The states wait for Congress. Congress waits for the states. Virginia could be the state to bring all American women out of this catch-22. At long last, it could be Virginia that makes all the difference for women.Let Virginia be a proud leader for civil rights and economic stability in the 21st Century.

Women belong in the Constitution. It’s time.

With my thanks for your service,

Your Name

Your Address

(*) (*) (*)

To comment publicly on the Senate bill: click here.

To tweet the Senate:@VASenate
To tweet the Senate GOP:@VASenateGOP
To tweet the Senate Dems: @VASenateDems

To Tweet the P&E Committee (a complicated group, indeed):

@JillVogel    @KennyAlexander    @BillCarrico  @CreighDeeds   @MarkObenshain

@Donald_McEachin    @ReevesVA    @JohnMillerforVA    @JohnCosgroveVA

Could not locate Twitters for Janet Howell, Steve Martin, John Edwards, Ralph Smith, Tom Garrett.

Sample Tweets:

SJ216 to the floor in 2015. No hidden votes on #civilrights issues. Stand by your vote. #‎DemandERA‬ ‪#‎ERAyesVA‬#EqualRightsAmendment is income equality, civil rights, family stability. Tell your peers to join you to#‎DemandERA‬ ‪#‎ERAyesVA‬

Support & vote for SJ216, encourage colleagues. #CivilRights for women cannot wait another year! #‎DemandERA‬ ‪#‎ERAyesVA‬

#14thAmendment does not cover ♀  #EqualRightsAmendment extends 14th to ♀ . Plz inform colleagues. #‎DemandERA‬ ‪#‎ERAyesVA‬

Repeat as often as possible. 

With my thanks for your patience, and my great hope for success on Tuesday!

Simone Roberts — Web Editor / Historian / ERA Coordinator — VA NOW

Session opens this week: Turn The VOLUME UP!!!

“It isn’t over. There is much more to do.”
Alice Paul’s last words 

This past Sunday was Alice Paul’s 130th Birthday.  Rights are never given, they are claimed and

taken. Our foremothers worked for over 70 years for suffrage, and we are part of this great tradition of courage and grit. It’s in their spirit and honor that I ask you to turn that volume all the way up!

 

First, I ask you again to reach out to the Privileges and Elections Committee in Virginia to insist that they bring the ERA through to the floor of the House of Delegates for a public and proud vote! (Click here for that guide.) It’s vital that we keep the heat on these legislators in particular.

Let’s get the ERA to the Floor!!

But, we still need that roaring crowd cheering for the ERA to the ears of all our state senators and delegates. On the Contact Congress & General Assembly page of our blog, I have updated the contact information for the 2015 session members at both the state and federal level.

Second, please contact the members of Congress and ask them to support removing the ratification deadline on the Equal Rights Amendment by supporting H.J. Res. 43 (House) and S.J. Res.15 (Senate). Suggest they encourage deadline removal to colleagues in their caucus, across the aisle, and in the other house. (See Media & Messaging for more detail.)

Third, let’s continue to email / Facebook / tweet / call our state level representatives.They equate volume and consistency of contact with voter interest and urgency. So, let’s create that sense of urgency for them.

Here’s a list of some representatives we have not yet contacted. The whole kit is over on the blog. Click on their names, and you can access their websites, which gets you to all their social media. If you have the time, I invite you to go beyond this list, and start repeating contacts. Feel free to rinse and repeat as often as you like. As I say — roar of the crowd!

What to Say:

(adapt to representative’s house, embellish at will)

Dear Honorable (Senator / Delegate) ___________,

I urge you to support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in this session of the General Assembly. Your colleague, (Sen. Ebbin / Del. Surovell), is sponosoring (SJ 216 / HJ 495), and I encourage you to support and vote for this bill. Both you and the Commonwealth of Virginia deserve to stand proudly in affirmation of the constitutional equality of women.

With my thanks for your service,

Your Name

Your Address

 Delegates to email: 

Rust, Thomas Davis                DelTRust@house.virginia.gov
Scott, Edward T.                    DelEScott@house.virginia.gov
Sickles, Mark D.                     DelMSickles@house.virginia.gov
Simon, Marcus B.                   DelMSimon@house.virginia.gov
Spruill, Lionell, Sr.                  DelLSpruill@house.virginia.gov
Stolle, Christopher P.              DelCStolle@house.virginia.gov
Sullivan, Richard C. (Rip), Jr   DelRSullivan@house.virginia.gov
Surovell, Scott A.                   DelSSurovell@house.virginia.gov
Taylor, Scott W.                     DelSTaylor@house.virginia.gov
Torian, Luke E.                     DelLTorian@house.virginia.gov
Toscano, David J.                  DelDToscano@house.virginia.gov
Tyler, Roslyn C.                    DelRTyler@house.virginia.gov
Villanueva, Ronald A.            DelRVillanueva@house.virginia.gov
Ward, Jeion A.                     DelJWard@house.virginia.gov
Ware, R. Lee, Jr.                  DelLWare@house.virginia.gov
Watts, Vivian E.                   DelVWatts@house.virginia.gov
Webert, Michael J.                DelMWebert@house.virginia.gov
Wilt, Tony O.                        DelTWilt@house.virginia.gov
Wright, Thomas C., Jr.          DelTWright@house.virginia.gov
Yancey, David E.                  DelDYancey@house.virginia.gov
Yost, Joseph R.                    DelJYost@house.virginia.gov 

Senators to email:

Saslaw, Richard L.	district35@senate.virginia.gov	D	35
Smith, Ralph K.	district19@senate.virginia.gov	R	19
Stanley, William M., Jr.	district20@senate.virginia.gov	R	20
Stosch, Walter A.	district12@senate.virginia.gov	R	12
Stuart, Richard H.	district28@senate.virginia.gov	R	28
Vogel, Jill Holtzman	district27@senate.virginia.gov	R	27
Wagner, Frank W.	district07@senate.virginia.gov	R	7
Watkins, John C.	district10@senate.virginia.gov	R	10
Wexton, Jennifer T.	district33@senate.virginia.gov	D	33

I cannot thank you enough for your work. I know how tight time is for all of us. You have my greatest admiration.

We’re the background noise, but we need to be consistent. Members of the Virginia Women’s Equality Coalition will be in Richmond consistently over the session. Advocates from VA NOW and Women Matter will be especially focused on the ERA, and will be making personal contact with legislators and their staff daily. Our efforts will go a long way to supporting their presence.

Again, my thanks to Richmond Sunlight for your amazing work! I could not do this without you!

For Women!

Simone Roberts

Web Editor/Historian/ERA Coordinator   

Virginia NOW

Virginia ERA Network