Ellen McLaughlin Quoted in ABA Journal Online
“ERA: 25 Years Later and Still Not Likely”

The ABA Journal quoted Ellen McLaughlin in the article, “ERA: 25 Years Later and Still Not Likely,” which it published online on June 5. The article notes that the measure formerly known as the Equal Rights Amendment, now the Women’s Equality Amendment, has made its appearance as a bill in every Congress since the proposed amendment failed to gain ratification in 1982. The article also notes that with a Democratic majority, a few political observers see Congress as more inclined to pass the bill to send to the states for ratification than it had been under Republican control.

With the cultural and legal landscape shifting over the course of the 25 years since its failed ratification, many people, including supporters of the bill, wonder how much a women’s rights measure is now needed. “We’ve got a whole host of employment laws that are working effectively and make good judgment by the way the law is drafted,” Ellen told the ABA Journal. She added that the criteria are much more complicated than simply treating men and women the same, and the existing laws that treat women better than men could be eliminated if the bill passes.