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December 11, 2018 Background:  The proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution was passed by Congress in 1972.  The ERA provides as follows: Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by o the United States or by any State on account of sex. Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate o legislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of o ratification.  The Constitution requires that a proposed amendment be ratified by 38 states. Discussion:  With ratification by Illinois in 2018, the ERA now has been ratified by 37 states, 1 short of the number required for adoption.  th A Joint Resolution to make Virginia the 38 state to ratify the ERA will be introduced in the 2019 General Assembly.  During the November 27, 2018 City Council meeting, Council requested staff to prepare a Resolution supporting ratification of the ERA by the Virginia General Assembly for consideration at the next meeting. Financial Impact:  None. Recommended Action:  Adoption of the resolution. Next Steps Following Council Action:  The City Manager will forward the adopted Resolution to the members of the Portsmouth General Assembly delegation. 1. Mark Geduldig-Yatrofsky, P. O. Box 50141, spoke in support of this item. Motion by Mr. Moody, and seconded by Ms. Lucas-Burke, to adopt the following resolution, and was adopted by the following vote: “RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF RATIFICATION BY VIRGINIA OF THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. WHEREAS, equality under the law is a fundamental value of Americans and the people of Portsmouth; and WHEREAS, legislation and court decisions have increased women’s access to education, employment and public service; and WHEREAS, that same legislation can be repealed and the Supreme Court may strike legislation or retreat from its own precedent, thereby eliminating or abridging legal rights currently enjoyed by women, girls, and their families; and WHEREAS, Americans value the continued participation of women in education, the military, public service, and other spheres of our society; and WHEREAS, inclusion of the Equal Rights Amendment in the Constitution would require courts to apply the same strict level of scrutiny applied to test the constitutionality of government action based on race, religion, or natural origin; and WHEREAS, an overwhelming majority of Americans reported in a 2015 poll that they support an amendment to the United States Constitution to guarantee equal rights for both men and women; and