March 26th: Here’s what happened at the Statehouse this week
This was the twelfth full week of the Indiana General Assembly’s 2021 session. Below are updates on a section of the bills that W4C is following.
Indiana Statehouse Updates
Below are updates on a selection of bills that W4C is following closely.
House Bill 1384, Civics education, has been re-passed by the House after the Senate returned it with an amendment. The amendment included minor changes to the wording of the bill. HB 1384 outlines a plan for creating standardized civics education in Indiana, and it has a strong chance of becoming law.
House Bill 1479, Early Voting, has been passed by the Senate and returned to the House with amendments. This bill allows for the creation of satellite offices to give voters more time to cast early ballots. HB 1479 started in the House and has already passed through once.
Senate Bill 6, Statehouse monument to suffragettes, has been signed by both the Speaker and the President pro Tempore. This bill has already passed through both the Senate and the House with bipartisan support from each.
Senate Bill 79, Protection orders and domestic battery, has been returned to the Senate with amendments. SB 79 proposes several protections for survivors of domestic battery, including increased protection for minors. The bill has already passed through both the Senate and House.
Senate Bill 81, Training for investigators of sexual assault cases, has been signed by both the Speaker and the President pro Tempore. SB 81 would create a standarized training program for officials investigating sexual assault cases. This bill has already passed through both the Senate and the House with bipartisan support from each.
Federal Legislation Update: The Equal Rights Amendment
“Equality of rights under the law shall now be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex…”
What is the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)?
The ERA is a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would give Americans explicit protection from sex and gender based discrimination in the workplace, in housing, in hiring practices, in court, and more.
Where did the ERA come from, and why is it getting attention now?
The ERA was proposed in 1923 by Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman, two leaders of the continuous fight for women’s rights. In order to be ratified, the ERA needed to be individually ratified by 38 states and passed by two-thirds of Congress. After decades of advocacy and education efforts, the ERA was formally introduced to Congress in 1970. By 1972, both the House and the Senate had passed the amendment and set a 1977 deadline for the individual state ratifications.
Although 35 states had ratified the ERA by 1977, including Indiana, the amendment still needed the ratification of at least three more states. The deadline was pushed back to 1982, but due to a lack of sufficient traction and a staunch opposition campaign the ERA failed to get enough state ratification.
Nevada was the first state to ratify the ERA since 1977, prompted by a resurgence in women's rights activism. In January 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the ERA.
What happens now?
The House of Representatives has passed House Joint Resolution 17, which calls for the removal of the national ratification deadline. If the Senate passes the resolution, the ratification deadline may be removed and the ERA could still be added to the Constitution, a step towards dismantling the barriers that continue to perpetuate women as second-class citizens and ending a century-old legislative struggle.
Women4Change supports the Equal Rights Amendment. Although the United States has made significant strides toward equality, pervasive discrimintaion on the basis of sex continues to affect women across the country. Ratifying this amendment would bring us one step closer to true gender equality.
Other Indiana news
On COVID-19: Vaccine eligibility will open up for Hoosiers 16 and older at the end of March. Click here to find out how to register!