Equal-rights amendment divides Ore. lawmakers
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Dozens of Oregon lawmakers have signed onto a proposal to amend the Oregon constitution to ban gender discrimination, but they have run into a roadblock from some of the strongest advocates of equality for women.
Several of the measure's supporters held a news conference Tuesday in an attempt to nudge it past opposition from equality advocates who worry a state equal-rights amendment would undermine protections for other minority groups.
"Think of the other protections that are afforded us in the Constitution. Why do we hold those so dear? Because that is the highest level of protection of our rights," said Leanne Littrell DiLorenzo, who founded VoteERA.org and is lobbying the Legislature to refer an equal-rights amendment to the ballot.
The bill's critics don't take issue with the idea of equality for women.
Rather, they say a state Supreme Court ruling already provides extremely strong protection against gender-based discrimination that goes beyond protections in federal law. They worry that a constitutional amendment might lead a judge to conclude that voters wanted protections against gender discrimination to be stronger than protections based on other factors like race, religion or sexual orientation.
"We have greater protection against unlawful discrimination by government agencies in Oregon than we would have if we lived in other states," said David Fidanque, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, which supports a federal equal-rights amendment but opposes the Oregon proposal.
The proponents want Oregon voters to decide the issue in 2014. They say it's critical to enshrine women's equality in the constitution, even if won't help achieve top women's rights priorities like equal-pay mandates.
"Women under 40 grew up with this notion that we could do anything, we could be anything," said. Rep. Julie Parrish, R-West Linn, a supporter of the measure. "And I think to not have that memorialized in our constitution is a shame."
Nineteen senators and 30 House members has signed on as sponsors to two similar bills, one in each chamber. The measures would need 16 votes in the Senate and 31 in the House to reach the ballot, but they're not likely to get that far.
Rep. Carolyn Tomei, a Milwaukie Democrat who leads the committee that is overseeing the proposal, said she won't allow the measure to move through her committee and reach the full House.
Tomei calls herself a feminist and said she worked on pushing a federal equal-rights amendment when it was a flashpoint of national politics but doesn't think a state amendment is needed.
"I'm still continuing to work on women's rights, but I don't think that this amendment to the constitution would accomplish what it is I think we want," Tomei said.
___
The measures referring to voters an equal-rights amendment to the state constitution are HJR 21 and SJR 24.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
Equal Rights for all LEGAL citizens should be the law of the land, this is a no brainer.
Not one single thing for illegals, they do not deserve any protections from our laws or benefit from taxpayer dollars.
It would pass easily if the Democrats had thought of it first, instead of the Republicans. On the other hand, I thought we already had equal rights protections in the US Constitution?
@jpk No, no bill has ever been signed into law at the Federal level.  Remember the ERA?  From the Wikipedia site:
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitutiondesigned to guarantee equal rights for women. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time. In 1972, it passed both houses of Congress and went to the state legislatures for ratification. The ERA failed to receive the requisite number ofratifications before the final deadline mandated by Congress of June 30, 1982 expired, and so it was not adopted, largely because Phyllis Schlafly mobilized conservatives to oppose the ERA.
So does this mean we have to go back to looking at old ugly guys watching the news instead of hot ladies? After all if you can't discriminate by gender it has to work both ways...
@FreedomRocks --- I always thought FOX News meant the women commentators.
@FreedomRocks Â
 Yes, I want boobies with my weather reports.Â
Just another distraction from Oregon's real problems! What a waste of time and resources! Political tricks to avoid Oregon's real issues!
Equal rights applies to all except white men who are responsible citizens and have a job.Â
@Shadow Government organized equality never goes well...
@FreedomRocks @Shadow Nor does government turning a blind eye.
@FreedomRocks @Shadow Yea, look at the 14th amendment. Those damn darkies are procreatin' like rabbits. Soon they'll be takin' o'er white Amuricah! We should only follow the Constitution!! "All WHITE MEN are created equal." Stupid womerns and darkies.
Sounds mostly symbolic at this point, which means they are wasting time they could be using to work on an actual problem.Â
Don't be sexist, broads hate that.
From the Oregon Constitution;
Section 20. Equality of privileges and immunities of citizens. No law shall be passed granting to any citizen or class of citizens privileges, or immunities, which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens.
Section 33. Enumeration of rights not exclusive. This enumeration of rights, and privileges shall not be construed to impair or deny others retained by the people.
So..... why are we wasting time with these proposals again?
This comment has been deleted
@Lindsey KardashiumÂ
and the rise of the Sith overlords that will conquer inner space in 2014 a prophesied by Ian Flemming.
@lee986321 @Agness P Weatherby @Lindsey KardashiumIt wouldn't effect them at all.  As a side note, it also wouldn't *affect* them either.
@Agness P Weatherby @Lindsey Kardashium Any Idea on how would effect the baker who denied the wedding cake to the lesbian couple? and if it were to fail, which it might or might not , what would come of the case? It also sounds like to me, Oregon has a stale mate.
@MarkKpic Agreed, I'd say your references cover the bases pretty well
As anyone who knows me would agree, I am all in favor of equality, but those pancakes aren't going to cook themselves.
This comment has been deleted
@Lindsey Kardashium--- you are welcome. Sounds like an Ageist comment.
@Lindsey Kardashium Well, I for one can disagree, I am here with my son. At least I am not a dead beat dad. And at least, My Fiance is not "loose". as you put it..believe it or not there are still those that do know what family is , it is not all gone down the drain. You might see it , but I do not.
@Lindsey Kardashium That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard...
Another fat cow: "You should love me just the way I am ..."
Most women say that they are for equality...the problem is that many of them just want the benefits of equality without the burdens and responsibilities  Equality is a double edged sword!  You have to take the good with the bad if you truly want to be equal - no cherry picking is allowed.
@UtterReality That's sexist.
looks like not everyone can have there "rights"
So.............. They are wasting time and resources to make a law that already exists? Great.
"Women under 40 grew up with this notion that we could do anything, we could be anything," Pssh, well there is the problem.
"An army without leaders is like a foot without a big toe." ~ John Winger
[IMG]http://i46.tinypic.com/am9l69.jpg[/IMG]
@str1ngb3nd3r ROFL...you are the master of the search. That is a crazy azz neck. Almost makes you say "holy crap what is it".
@Lindsey Kardashium @TreeWizard Check redtube; it only took 14.