HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES-2018-018 Resolution in Support of the Equal Rights AmendmentItem 4-c–UPDATED Resolution –March 20, 2018 BOCC Meeting
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RES-2018-018
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OFTHE EQUALRIGHTS AMENDMENT
WHEREAS,Orange County forthrightly supportsequalrights forall residents ofOrange County;
and
WHEREAS,womencontinuetoconfrontalackofpoliticalparity,workplacediscrimination,health
careinequities,disparaterates ofpoverty,rape and domesticviolenceassaults;and
WHEREAS,the United States Constitutionfails toguarantee explicitlythatallrights that itpurports
to protect areheld equallybyall residents withoutregardto sex;and
WHEREAS,the equalprotectionclauseof the 14thAmendmentneverhasbeeninterpretedto
guarantee equalrights forwomen;and
WHEREAS,the Equal Rights Amendment [ERA] was drafted to helpcorrectsystemicdiscrimination
based on sex, i.e., bysituatingsexasasuspectcategory invokingstrictjudicialscrutiny,aswith
race, nationaloriginand religion;and
WHEREAS,theERAwas passedbyCongress in 1972 and ratifiedby35 ofthe38states
necessaryto put itintotheConstitution,yetwas assumedto haveexpiredin 1982;and
WHEREAS,Congress can altertimelimits in theproposingclauses ofamendments,andthe
deadlineforthe ERAappearedonlyin the preambleas opposed to theactuallegislation;and
WHEREAS,the State ofNevada became the 36th state to approve theERAin 2017; and
WHEREAS,SenatorFloydB. McKissick,Jr. andRepresentativeCarlaCunninghamintroduced
ERAratificationbillsintheNCGeneralAssemblyinthe 2017longsession,withSenatorMike
Woodardco-sponsoringthe Senatebill and RepresentativeHenryM.Michauxco-sponsoringthe
Housebill; and
WHEREAS,US RepresentativeDavidPrice,Representative AlmaAdams, and Representative G.K.
Butterfieldhave previously co-sponsoredbills in Congress to adoptan ERA,andto liftthe time
limitson states forratifyingthe ERA;and
WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution regarding the Equal Rights
Amendmenton November 15, 2016with language similar to that appearing below;
NOW THEREFORE,BEITRESOLVED,thatthe Orange County Board of County Commissioners
calls onthe US Congress to pass intolawa billto adoptanEqual Rights Amendment,or to remove
the timelimitforratificationofthe ERAsothatratificationshallbeachievedupon theaffirmative
voteof38 states,ofwhich36alreadyhaveratified;and
BE ITFURTHER RESOLVED, thatthe Orange County Board of County Commissionerscalls on
theNCGeneralAssemblyto pass into lawabillto ratifythe Equal Rights Amendmentto theUnited
States ConstitutionasproposedbyCongress on March22, 1972.
This the 20th day of March 2018.