2019-20 Public Policy Updates

February 15, 2019

****  ERA ACTION ALERT  ****

We now have four ERA bills in Arizona.  The ERA simply says: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”  Who can object to that?

To make this a reality, we need you to take action. The most effective action is a personal meeting with the Senator or Representative either in the office at the capital or in the person’s district.  Barring that, the second most effective action is a handwritten letter, then a phone call, then an email, and then a pre-printed document like our postcards.  So see the actions needed below and do as many as you can manage.  Also, please spread the word to all your contacts statewide.

House of Representatives:

HCR 2030 – an ERA Ratification bill with Representative Pamela Powers Hannley and 32 others from both parties and both chambers.

Actions needed:

  1. Contact Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers to swiftly assign the bill to a committee and ensure that it will be heard.  His contact information:  602-926-3128  rbowers@azleg.gov  We only have three more weeks to hear House bills in the House so it needs to be assigned immediately.  As soon as we find out the committee, we’ll send out that information for you to contact them.
  2.  Contact your two state representatives to support. Find your Representatives HERE

Talking Points include:

– The equal protection clause of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment has never been interpreted to grant equality on the basis of sex.  If the 14th Amendment gave women equality, then why did we need the 19th Amendment to give us the right to vote?

– The equality laws that exist are not a constitutional guarantee; a law can be changed; a law can be overturned.  The ERA would provide a strong legal defense against a rollback of the significant advances in women’s rights that have been achieved since the mid–20th century.

– Arizona women lose more than $7,000 a year from the gender wage gap, totaling nearly $6 billion a year.  It’s about economic fairness.

– When the history books are written, what side of the equality divide do you want to be standing on?

HCR2028 – a resolution to support the extension of the ERA timeline in Congress introduced by Representative Pamela Powers-Hannley and nine other Democrats. While that is important, we need to first be the 38th state to ratify the ERA.  So, contact your two state representatives and tell them to support it.  If it comes up for a vote, you’ll be notified.

Arizona Senate:

SCR1006 – an ERA ratification bill with Republican Senator Ugenti-Rita as the prime sponsor and two other Republicans along with three Democrats.

SCR1009 – an ERA ratification bill with Senator Victoria Steele as the prime sponsor and seventeen signers from both parties.

Actions needed:

  1. Contact President of the Senate Karen Fann to remove from the Judiciary committee and put into Commerce. Her contact information:  602-926-5874,kfann@azleg.gov
  2. Contact the Chair and all members of the Judiciary committee to hear immediately.  Eddie Farnsworth, 602-926-5735,efarnsworth@azleg.gov, vice chair Sonny Borrelli 602-926-5051 sborrelli@azleg.gov,  Members:  Lupe Contreras, 602-926-5284 lcontreras@azleg.gov, Rick Gray, 602-926-5413 rgray@azleg.gov, Vince Leach, 602-926-3106 vleach@azleg.gov, Martin Quezada, 602-926-5911 mquezada@azleg.gov

The main talking point to make to Senator Farnsworth and the committee members is that it is not democracy when one man (Farnsworth) can hold hostage the Constitutional equality of 161 million women (and children), including over 3.5 million in Arizona.  91% of Republicans support it; 92% of Independents; and 98% of Democrats.  Give it the hearing it deserves. 
 
Contact your own state senator to support.  Find them HERE

Equal Rights Amendment info

A Resolution ratifying the proposed amendment to the constitution of the United States, providing equal rights for men and women

Whereas, the Congress of the United States, on March 22, 1972, in both houses, by a constitutional majority of two-thirds in both houses, adopted the following proposition to amend the Constitution of the United States in the following words, to wit:

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to equal rights for men and women.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That

The following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years of its submission by the Congress:

Section 1.  Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.

Section 2.  The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. 

Section 3.  This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

Therefore: Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

  1. That this proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States is ratified.
  2. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit a copy of this Resolution to the President of the United States Senate and the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.