The Tolbert Report

It appears that the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs will consider HJR1014, the Equal Right Amendment (ERA) this morning. This is one of those bills that keep coming up every year in the legislature. The deadline to ratify the ERA passed in 1979 but that has not stopped it supporters from bring it up every chance they get.

An inside source tells me that the Amendment is likely to fail this morning in committee but that the votes will be close. In fact, it is close enough that it has raised the interest of national conservative groups. Just this morning, I receive the following email for the American Family Association.

Bills to ratify the Federal Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) have been filed in the Arkansas Senate and the Arkansas House. Sponsors of these bills already have numerous co-sponsors, and this number will continue to grow unless they hear from you. It is vital that you contact your State Senator and your State Representative immediately. Ask them to vote against ratification of the Federal Equal Rights Amendment (HJR1014 in the House and SJR12 in the Senate).

There are good reasons it has been 32 years since any state ratified this amendment. There are good reasons 5 states have repealed their ratification of this amendment. Here are some good reasons to oppose ERA:

1. The proposed Federal Equal Rights Amendment would make all state and federal laws gender neutral. Since laws could no longer be based on gender, Arkansas’ law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman would be in serious jeopardy.
2. Restrictions on abortions would likely be ruled as discrimination against women, since they are the only ones who have abortions.
3. A Federal Equal Rights Amendment would be used to attack same-sex organizations like the Boy Scouts of America for “discrimination”.
4. It would create issues regarding the drafting of women into the military and female soldiers serving in combat.
5. Insurance companies might not be able to set different rates for men and women.
6. Fraternities, sororities, and all-male or all-female schools would be in serious jeopardy.

UPDATE – ERA supporters sensing that they did not have enough votes to pass committee (maybe they are Tolbert Report readers), postponed the hearing until a later date.