Community Discussion: Ratify the ERA

Community Discussion: Ratify the ERA

Friday, November 16, Warm Hearth Village Center, 10-11 amoutline of Virginia with "VAratifyERA" as text and the large number 38

Guests

  • Delegate Jennifer Carroll-Foy, Chief Patron of the resolution to ratify the ERA
  • Delegate Chris Hurst, Blacksburg, co-Patron
  • Blacksburg Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith
  • representatives from the Town of Blacksburg, Board of Supervisors, and League of Women Voters

Following some remarks by these guests, participants will have an opportunity to talk with them.

The VA Ratify ERA statewide bus tour will stop in Blacksburg on November 16 to develop support for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in the next session of the General Assembly.

The bus tour’s goal is to educate Virginians about the absence of gender equality in the U.S. Constitution and highlight the unequivocal, bipartisan statewide support for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Two states ratified recently, Nevada in 2017 and Illinois on May 30th, 2018 leaving just one state left in the 38 required. All eyes are on Virginia to be the last, historic state during our next General Assembly session.

As noted by Kati Hornung, campaign coordinator for VAratifyERA, “In 2019 Virginia will celebrate its 400th year of legislative session. It sounds like a great time to make history as the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Virginia can again be the final state to add important language to the U.S. Constitution, just as it did with the Bill of Rights.”

The bus will travel over 1,500 miles with events targeting sixteen Virginia colleges, including Virginia Tech.

Since launching the VAratifyERA campaign on August 26, 2018 (Women’s Equality Day), communities across the state have voted to support resolutions advocating for ratification. They include the Board of Supervisors of Montgomery County and the Town of Blacksburg. They join citizen groups such as the Arlington Civic Association, League of Women Voters, American Association of University Women, and the American Bar Association (ABA) which passed resolutions reaffirming support for the ERA. The ABA resolution also called on all state bar associations to actively engage in the pursuit of ratification.