“All persons shall be guaranteed equal rights under the laws of this state. The state shall not discriminate against any person in intent or effect on account of race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, or sex, including but not limited to pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive freedom, gender identity or gender expression, or sexual orientation.”

-the proposed Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment

This is an urgent call to action – state legislators have until May 19 to advance the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment to be on the 2026 ballot. Contact both your state senator and representative and share this with your communities!

Use this link:  https://aauw.quorum.us/campaign/105632/

The Minnesota Constitution is 167 years old, and while the majority of states have gender equity provisions, Minnesota has yet to include language enshrining equal rights based on gender. It is time to rectify this.

The proposed robust Minnesota state Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) provides the strongest possible protection regardless of race, color, sex – including pregnancy outcomes, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression – disability, ancestry, or national origin. These are Minnesota values.

Our strongest legal document should reflect the full humanity of ALL our people.

There are two steps to amending the Minnesota Constitution: First, the state legislature must vote to put an ERA on the 2026 election ballot. Second, voters can then decide with our vote whether to add an ERA to our constitution.

The Minnesota Senate passed an inclusive ERA in 2023 and the House passed an inclusive ERA plus explicit reproductive rights language in 2024, but the two chambers didn’t come to an agreement on language before the session ended May 2024.

Polls show that both the ERA and reproductive freedom are top priorities in Minnesota. As we see women’s rights and the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals being rescinded in other states, we demand the right to determine our own destiny.

Ask the Minnesota legislature to let the voters decide on a constitutional amendment that all Minnesotans are equal under the law.

Enter your address to take action. We encourage you to personalize the draft letter before submitting.