50 - Virginia, Jennifer Foy
We almost had a new amendment to the constitution in 2020. I wanted it. To share the 100th anniversary with a chance to make everyone free all the time. Anyone. It makes a difference. But alas, it needs to start over from the beginning.
Virginia accepted the Nineteenth Amendment into its constitution on February 21, 1952.
Ms. Foy is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 2nd District. Born and raised in Virginia, she was in the third class of female cadets to attend the Virginia Military Institute with a full scholarship. After graduating law school, she spent a small time as a litigation associate in Los Angeles. She moved back to Virginia to be open practice for criminal defense.
She ran for office in 2017 on a platform of expanding Medicaid, raising the minimum wage, teacher pay, and criminal justice reform. Winning her race, she now sit on the Courts of Justice, Finance, and Public Safety Committees.
On January 15, 2020, Foy succeeded in working with the Virginia General Assembly to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, a lingering amendment designed to guarantee equal legal rights for ALL American citizens regardless of sex. This final amendment would stop any need for further amendments clarifying any people in America.
Virginia was the 38th State to ratify the amendment which would reach the threshold of 3/4 of states and make the amendment a national constitutional amendment. However, the original amendment had a deadline for the bill to be ratified, and the date had expired. Added to the revocation of five states that had ratified the amendment, it was determined that the measure was dead and was not enacted to the constitution.
Why this woman?
Learning about amendments brought to light the efforts toward the Equal Rights Amendment, which had the potential of being the 28th and newest amendment. I was so incredibly excited to think we could celebrate a new amendment, similar to the Nineteenth, but ending separation of all people regardless of any classification you could put someone on. It meant a lot that I could have experienced the excitement.
I learned that Jennifer Foy was the voice bringing this amendment forward. It was going to be a success because of her. And she joined my list. I was waiting patiently, hoping the time would come.
It did.
It came.
And it went.
Loop holes in the system and holding true to the deadlines that expired made this amendment fail. Opposers to the amendment feared the protective legislation for women would be affected if this passed. Fear of stay at home women being ruled out, change of schedules and support for maternity issues, and questioning whether men and women were already equally treated. In my opinion, if this was worth the debate, then maybe men and women are not equally treated. There may be instances where that is OK. I don’t want to be just like my male counterparts. But I am ready to be beyond debating it. We should be equally able to be what and how we all want to be.
Virginia accepted the Nineteenth Amendment into its constitution on February 21, 1952.
Ms. Foy is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 2nd District. Born and raised in Virginia, she was in the third class of female cadets to attend the Virginia Military Institute with a full scholarship. After graduating law school, she spent a small time as a litigation associate in Los Angeles. She moved back to Virginia to be open practice for criminal defense.
She ran for office in 2017 on a platform of expanding Medicaid, raising the minimum wage, teacher pay, and criminal justice reform. Winning her race, she now sit on the Courts of Justice, Finance, and Public Safety Committees.
On January 15, 2020, Foy succeeded in working with the Virginia General Assembly to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, a lingering amendment designed to guarantee equal legal rights for ALL American citizens regardless of sex. This final amendment would stop any need for further amendments clarifying any people in America.
Virginia was the 38th State to ratify the amendment which would reach the threshold of 3/4 of states and make the amendment a national constitutional amendment. However, the original amendment had a deadline for the bill to be ratified, and the date had expired. Added to the revocation of five states that had ratified the amendment, it was determined that the measure was dead and was not enacted to the constitution.
Why this woman?
Learning about amendments brought to light the efforts toward the Equal Rights Amendment, which had the potential of being the 28th and newest amendment. I was so incredibly excited to think we could celebrate a new amendment, similar to the Nineteenth, but ending separation of all people regardless of any classification you could put someone on. It meant a lot that I could have experienced the excitement.
I learned that Jennifer Foy was the voice bringing this amendment forward. It was going to be a success because of her. And she joined my list. I was waiting patiently, hoping the time would come.
It did.
It came.
And it went.
Loop holes in the system and holding true to the deadlines that expired made this amendment fail. Opposers to the amendment feared the protective legislation for women would be affected if this passed. Fear of stay at home women being ruled out, change of schedules and support for maternity issues, and questioning whether men and women were already equally treated. In my opinion, if this was worth the debate, then maybe men and women are not equally treated. There may be instances where that is OK. I don’t want to be just like my male counterparts. But I am ready to be beyond debating it. We should be equally able to be what and how we all want to be.
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