Senate vote falls 1 short of threshold to send equal rights amendment to voters

equal rights

Published
February 23, 2022

Senate vote falls 1 short of threshold to send equal rights amendment to voters

Senators voted 22-12 in support Wednesday, just shy of the two-thirds majority that would be needed in upcoming votes to put the question on a statewide ballot.
Published
February 16, 2022

Equal rights amendment to Maine Constitution hits Republican opposition in House

The 80-57 vote in favor of the proposal falls short of the two-thirds majority required to put the issue to voters, with another vote coming later in this session.
Published
February 9, 2022

Maine Voices: It’s time to let Mainers decide on equal rights for all

Twenty-six states have already passed some form of an equal rights amendment.
Published
January 11, 2022

Lawmakers hear waves of support for equal rights amendment to Maine Constitution

The amendment would expressly prohibit discrimination based on sex – something that came 2 votes shy of passing in 2019, the sponsor says.
Published
January 11, 2022

Maine Voices: Without state ERA, women face unfair barriers to equality

The U.S. Constitution’s silence on the fundamental legal rights of women makes it critical that these rights are spelled out clearly in the Maine Constitution.
Published
October 5, 2020

Disabled voters have multiple ways to cast ballots in Maine

Efforts to improve voting access for Mainers with disabilities range from a new online system to a new guide for families and caretakers of residents living in long-term care.
Published
August 18, 2020

Suffrage anniversary events highlight racial divide

The amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920, but many women of color were prevented from casting ballots for decades afterward.
Published
August 17, 2020

Advocates plan birthday gift for the 19th Amendment: The ERA

One hundred years ago this week, American women gained the guaranteed right to vote, with ratification of the 19th Amendment.
Published
July 21, 2020

Maine bill would help veterans discharged because of sexual orientation

The measure calls for Maine's Bureau of Veterans Services to provide state benefits to veterans who received other-than-honorable discharges before the federal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law was repealed in 2011.
Published
April 15, 2020

Richard Sobol, attorney who fought for civil rights in Louisiana, dies at 82

Sobol's career included groundbreaking litigation involving desegregation of schools, employment discrimination against minorities and women, and electing African-Americans to public office.