The Equal Rights Amendment:
Simple Justice-It’s TIME!
by Jean Landweber, ERA Campaign Coordinator for Wisconsin

Why does Wisconsin need an ERA coordinator, when Wisconsin is one of the already ratified states? “The ERA should be a topic of conversation in every state. Women’s groups throughout the state should have the ERA as a priority issue. There is new hope and the time is right for the amendment to pass,” said Jean Landweber.

Landweber now divides her time between Madison and Washington, D.C. In Washington, she is a member of the National Council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO) and participates on their Domestic Issues and Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Task Forces. In May 2004 she accepted the position of ERA Campaign Network Coordinator for Wisconsin.

Thirty-five states have ratified the ERA. Fifteen states have not. Three more states are needed to pass the amendment. Our neighbor Illinois is working diligently to be the 36th state to pass the amendment. It has passed the House and now needs to pass the Senate. The Illinois Senate has extended its current session, so it is possible the ERA ratification bill will be voted on before adjourning for the summer. Should this not happen, there will still be an opportunity to do so later in the year.

It is important for us to encourage our friends and relatives in Illinois to flood their state senators with pro-ERA messages all through the summer and into the fall. Organizations and individuals can go to the ERA Campaign Network website, www.ERACampaign.net, and print fact sheets, and other valuable information. For more information, contact Jean Landweber at landweber@aol.com or 608-238-2588.