Letter to Senator Luke Rankin, Chair or Senate Judiciary Committee - January 2020
The two Senate ERA resolutions — S.901 and S.918 — are currently sitting in the Senate Judiciary Committee awaiting subcommittee assignment. As chair of that committee, Senator Rankin decides whether or not a bill goes forward. We need to ask him to assign those resolutions to a subcommittee. The subcommittee level is the first step to get a bill to the Senate floor.
You can call his office to register your support, send an email, or write a letter. Letters really get the best result.
Following is formatting for a letter as well as some suggested copy. You should be able to cut and paste into your software with minor adjustments. Below the letter are additional paragraphs that you might prefer. Use as is, or combine the copy to create a letter that speaks for you, in your own voice. Once you have that together, you'll have many occasions to use it again.
The two Senate ERA resolutions — S.901 and S.918 — are currently sitting in the Senate Judiciary Committee awaiting subcommittee assignment. As chair of that committee, Senator Rankin decides whether or not a bill goes forward. We need to ask him to assign those resolutions to a subcommittee. The subcommittee level is the first step to get a bill to the Senate floor.
You can call his office to register your support, send an email, or write a letter. Letters really get the best result.
Following is formatting for a letter as well as some suggested copy. You should be able to cut and paste into your software with minor adjustments. Below the letter are additional paragraphs that you might prefer. Use as is, or combine the copy to create a letter that speaks for you, in your own voice. Once you have that together, you'll have many occasions to use it again.
January __, 2020
Senator Luke A. Rankin
201 Beaty Street
Conway, SC 29526
Dear Senator Rankin,
As a citizen of the state of South Carolina, I am asking you as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee to support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment by assigning Joint Resolutions S.901 and S.918 to a judiciary subcommittee. I’m also requesting you sign on as a sponsor. Senator Tom Davis and the “four women of the Senate” have sent a powerful message to the people of South Carolina — and their fellow legislators — of the need to ratify the ERA today.
In the United States today, women do not have “equal justice under law,” and the ERA was written to correct that omission. Our court system currently holds sex discrimination to a lesser standard of judicial review, which negatively affects the result of a fair judgement. The American Bar Association has said the ERA would raise that standard so that sex would be at par with race, religion and nation of origin when seeking judicial relief. We need your help to make that happen.
Thank you, in advance, for standing up for all our citizens. What a wonderful way for South Carolina to begin 2020.
name
street address
city, SC, zip
email (optional)
telephone # (optional)
Senator Luke A. Rankin
201 Beaty Street
Conway, SC 29526
Dear Senator Rankin,
As a citizen of the state of South Carolina, I am asking you as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee to support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment by assigning Joint Resolutions S.901 and S.918 to a judiciary subcommittee. I’m also requesting you sign on as a sponsor. Senator Tom Davis and the “four women of the Senate” have sent a powerful message to the people of South Carolina — and their fellow legislators — of the need to ratify the ERA today.
In the United States today, women do not have “equal justice under law,” and the ERA was written to correct that omission. Our court system currently holds sex discrimination to a lesser standard of judicial review, which negatively affects the result of a fair judgement. The American Bar Association has said the ERA would raise that standard so that sex would be at par with race, religion and nation of origin when seeking judicial relief. We need your help to make that happen.
Thank you, in advance, for standing up for all our citizens. What a wonderful way for South Carolina to begin 2020.
name
street address
city, SC, zip
email (optional)
telephone # (optional)
You may prefer the copy below. It's from the Did you know and The ERA in South Carolina pages of this site. If you need some background, read our our ERA 2020 Brochure. Please cut, paste and modify as needed. And here's the American Bar Association letter.
The ERA is a simple statement: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." It was modeled after the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote. This year — 2020 — marks the 100-year anniversary of women gaining that right. How wonderful it would be to celebrate that occasion, by ratifying the ERA.
In 1940, the Republican Party became the first major political party to include the ERA in their election platform. Today 94% of Americans support equal rights: 97% of Democrats; 90% of Republicans; and 92% of Independents. In fact, 80% of Americans think the Constitution already guarantees them. It does not. (ERA Polling 6.17.2016).
Back in the 1970’s, on the very day Congress sent the ERA to the states for ratification, the South Carolina House unanimously passed their ERA resolution. Those legislators understood the importance of equality under law back then. We now have a rare second chance to recognize equal rights for all citizens. Please help us to do so.
One of the most revered jurist of our time left no doubt as to whether women have constitutional protection. In 2011, when asked if the U.S. Constitution protects against sex discrimination, Justice Antonin Scalia replied, "Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only question is whether it prohibits it. I doesn't." The Equal Rights Amendment is needed for that protection.
Other letter writing tips and copy can be found here. To view our letter to Senator Rankin, click here.
To go to ACTION ALERT #1, click here.
The ERA is a simple statement: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex." It was modeled after the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote. This year — 2020 — marks the 100-year anniversary of women gaining that right. How wonderful it would be to celebrate that occasion, by ratifying the ERA.
In 1940, the Republican Party became the first major political party to include the ERA in their election platform. Today 94% of Americans support equal rights: 97% of Democrats; 90% of Republicans; and 92% of Independents. In fact, 80% of Americans think the Constitution already guarantees them. It does not. (ERA Polling 6.17.2016).
Back in the 1970’s, on the very day Congress sent the ERA to the states for ratification, the South Carolina House unanimously passed their ERA resolution. Those legislators understood the importance of equality under law back then. We now have a rare second chance to recognize equal rights for all citizens. Please help us to do so.
One of the most revered jurist of our time left no doubt as to whether women have constitutional protection. In 2011, when asked if the U.S. Constitution protects against sex discrimination, Justice Antonin Scalia replied, "Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only question is whether it prohibits it. I doesn't." The Equal Rights Amendment is needed for that protection.
Other letter writing tips and copy can be found here. To view our letter to Senator Rankin, click here.
To go to ACTION ALERT #1, click here.