What Can I Do?

If you live in one of the following states, contact your state representative and ask for their position in the ratification process: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.

Six of the states: Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, and Missouri have begun the ratification process. Here’s an update:

ARKANSAS:
Berta Seitz is the ERA Campaign Network Arkansas coordinator and is putting together a large coalition of organizations. Three of the four candidates for governor (election in November 2007) have endorsed the ERA. To help (particularly if you are an Arkansas resident who could help lobby legislators), contact Berta Seitz, BSeitz@fayar.net or phone 479-442-6256.

ARIZONA:
Kathy Kelly, ERA Campaign Network Arizona Coordinator, was set to introduce the ERA ratification bill in the state House of Representatives in January 2007. To help, contact Kathy Kelly, 602-690-1038.

FLORIDA:
Sandy Oestreich, ERA Campaign Network Florida Coordinator, also heads the Florida Equal Rights Alliance. Both the Florida House and Senate Judiciary Committees held onto the bill during the 2007 March-April session. Much work remains to be done to bring the matter to the floor. A petition drive and Letters To The Editor campaign are part of the current efforts. Former Congressional Representative Patricia Schroeder chairs the Alliance Board, speaks, and writes an ERA newspaper column in Florida. To participate in the excitement in Florida, see the Alliance website: www.RatifyERAflorida.net. To help, contact Sandy Oestreich, SandyJOestreich@cs.com; phone 727-393-0932.

ILLINOIS:
Emily Battin is the ERA Campaign Network Illinois coordinator, is looking to passage in the 2007-08 session. Illinois requires a three-fifths vote of both houses to ratify federal amendment resolutions (rather than the usual simple majority). To help, contact Emily Battin by email: emily1@consolidated.net, phone: 217-229-3754.


LOUISIANA:
Plans were underway by the Louisiana ERA Coalition to introduce the ratification bill in the spring 2007 session. Help contact info is on the way. Do you know what’s happening in Louisiana?

MISSOURI:
Shirley Breeze, ERA Campaign Network Missouri Coordinator, also chairs the Missouri Women’s Network. The ERA ratification bill was introduced in the 2007 session, had a hearing in the Senate Committee, but no action was taken. Because Missouri bills must be re-filed each year, legislation will have to wait until January 2008. To help, contact Shirley Breeze, sbreeze@mindspring.com, or phone: 314-831-5359.