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MN ERA Advances Equity for All

An Equal Rights Amendment in Minnesota has been a part of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota policy agenda goals for many years. We know our supporters have a legacy of supporting this legislation, marching on Washington in 1970s, and leading the movement as a volunteer advocate, like Suzann Willhite. Today, a diverse coalition of advocates, community leaders, and elected officials—united under the banner Minnesotans for Equal Rights, has come together to call on the legislature to pass an inclusive equal rights amendment and give Minnesotans the opportunity to vote for equality.

On January 17, in one of his final acts in office, President Biden made a symbolic declaration that the Equal Rights Amendment is “the law of the land.” The leader of the National Archives has said that the amendment cannot be certified because it wasn’t ratified before a deadline set by Congress. It’s unclear at this point whether his statement will have any impact.

In Minnesota, the work to pass the MN ERA bill continues. It has already been introduced in the MN Senate as SF 473 and introduction in the House is expected. The passing of this bill does not amend our Minnesota constitution by itself. Rather, this bill is a necessary stepping-stone to amend our constitution. Once the bill is successfully passed by both chambers of the legislature, it’s up to the general population of Minnesota to ratify the amendment. During the next statewide general election, voters would cast a Yes or No vote in a ratification ballot measure to amend our constitution with the MN ERA ballot language, so that our rights are protected under the law.

Last session, we moved closer than ever when an inclusive ERA for Minnesota bill passed the House, but not the Senate. If you’re looking to learn more, read the end-of-session perspectives of Betty Folliard and Suzann Willhite in the Women’s Press.

This past November, New York voted yes to an Equal Rights Amendment in their state. It expands their civil rights and protects people against discrimination. Now is the time for Minnesota to step up as leader and join this movement that will hopefully sweep across the country.

Our gratitude to the authors of this bill, Sen. Mary Kunesh and Rep. Leigh Finke, along with our coalition partners: Gender Justice, MN AFL-CIO, Minnesota Council on Disability, The Arc Minnesota, Voices for Racial Justice and others.

“We know the law is only as good as law until somebody overturns it because a different party is in power. There’s so much more work for us to do to ensure those rights.”

Rep. Kaohly Vang Her, at WFM’s Leadership Celebration

What is the ERA?

The Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment would guarantee every Minnesotan the same exact rights under the law.

It would offer everyone the strongest possible protections against discrimination by the state based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, or sex — including pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation — no matter who’s sitting in the governor’s office, the state legislature, or the courts.

With mounting attacks on our rights, we need to ensure protections for all, including trans Minnesotans and people seeking abortion care. Help us make this a reality by showing your support for the Equal Rights Amendment.

Why do we need the Minnesota ERA?

Gender and racial inequities persist for girls growing up in Minnesota. For example, we know from our Status on Women & Girls+ that the gender wage gap in Minnesota hasn’t narrowed over the past decade. On average, Minnesota women make 81 cents for every dollar a man makes—and for women of color, it’s even lower. If you add that up over a lifetime, a woman in Minnesota loses almost half a million dollars across the course of her career—and a woman of color loses more than a million.

The ERA would give us one of the strongest tools in our toolbox to combat gender-based wage discrimination in Minnesota.

We must do better for the young people in our state, many of whom are just starting their careers. Let’s make sure that they don’t face the same kind of discrimination and resulting economic hardships that we experienced when we were growing up.

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