Attorney General Ford Issues Statement on Equal Rights Amendment Case


March 5, 2021

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Judge granted request filed by the Trump Department of Justice and Republican AGs to dismiss his landmark civil rights lawsuit to have the ERA recognized as the 28th Amendment

Carson City, NV – Today, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford issued the following statement after a judge’s ruling granted a request filed by the Trump Department of Justice and Republican attorneys general to dismiss his landmark civil rights lawsuit. AG Ford and the attorneys general of Illinois and Virginia sued to have the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) recognized as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

“As I’ve said time and time again, women have always been endowed with equal rights. It is past time that our country recognized that,” said AG Aaron D. Ford. “Unfortunately, today’s decision requires women to continue waiting. Though I’m disheartened by this decision, all women can rest assured that, regardless of this court’s decision, my fight for your equal rights does not end today, tomorrow, or any day.”

“The Trump Administration and Republican attorneys general challenged our effort to have your rights recognized. But my fellow Democratic attorneys general and I look forward to support from the Biden Administration and Congress in this continued effort. As I've always promised, my office will use every legal tool at its disposal to fight for women's rights. We will now weigh our options with this litigation moving forward.”

On January 30, 2020, AG Ford sued to ensure that the ERA was recognized as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, following Virginia’s ratification. In May of last year, the Trump Administration filed a motion to dismiss AG Ford’s lawsuit, seeking to block gender equality from being added to the Constitution. In June, AG Ford filed a brief opposing the Trump Administration’s motion to dismiss his lawsuit.Also last year, AG Ford moved for summary judgment in this landmark civil rights lawsuit, as well as filed a brief opposing the intervening states’ (Alabama, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Tennessee) motion for summary judgment. 

The court’s decision is attached

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