HARRY HUGHES, Governor                                    3805

Signed March 26, 1984.

No. 2 *

(House Joint Resolution No. 45)

A House Joint Resolution concerning

The Equal Rights Amendment

FOR the purpose of urging the United States Congress to again
pass the Equal Rights Amendment so that it may be submitted
to the states for ratification.

WHEREAS, Equality is a basic constitutional right which must
be guaranteed all Americans; and

WHEREAS, The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) recognizes the
fundamental dignity and individuality of each human being by
requiring that governments treat each person, male or female, as
a citizen under the law without regard to gender; and

WHEREAS, In April 1972, the Maryland General Assembly passed
an ERA to the Declaration of Rights of the Maryland Constitution,
which was ratified by the voters of Maryland; and

WHEREAS, In April 1972, the General Assembly of Maryland
also ratified the Federal Equal Rights Amendment, being among the
first states to so ratify; and

WHEREAS, The United States Congress now has before it, as
Senate Joint Resolution No. 10 and House Joint Resolution No. 1,
legislation to initiate the process of amending the Constitution;
and

WHEREAS, The State of Maryland reaffirms its commitment  to

the belief that "Equality of rights under the law shall not    be

denied or abridged by the United States or by any State  on
account of sex"; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
United States Congress is urged to again approve the passage of
the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution so
that it may be submitted to the states for ratification; and be
it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be sent to the
Maryland Congressional Delegation: Senators Charles McC. Mathias,
Jr. and Paul S. Sarbanes, Senate Office Building, Washington,
D.C. 20510; and Representatives Royden P. Dyson, Clarence D.
Long, Barbara A. Mikulski, Marjorie S. Holt, Steny H. Hoyer,
Beverly B. Byron, Parren J. Mitchell, and Michael D. Barnes,
House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.

* Also signed by the Governor