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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