Outgoing President Joe Biden still has time to codify the Equal Rights Amendment.
Hits & Misses
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Hit: Equal Rights Now
You may be one of those people who thinks the Equal Rights Amendment is a dead issue—especially after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. Instead, be one who still believes in hope and works for it. This past week saw another women's march in Washington, but this year is different. The march—and its reverberation around the country—was a call to action. The ERA is not dead, but has been blocked again and again by politics since 1923. The amendment has reached its ratification goal of 38 states and stumbles only on an arbitrary deadline. Recent polls say that 85% of voters support passage. Tens of thousands of letters have been sent to President Joe Biden, pleading with him to order the Archivist to publish the amendment now. Get over your disappointment with him and urge the outgoing president to make a monumental change for women's rights.
Miss: Stand Your Ground
You've probably seen the beautiful billboards telling you to "Stand for Our Land." It's not what you think it is. By "stand for" them, it means "stand down" and let the state do what it wants with public lands. It won't be good, despite a Utah lawsuit against the feds to take over land management. We're not sure what difference the billboards will make to a court case, but they have made a difference to our government budget. The Utah News Dispatch reports that the state has spent $1 million on this wide-ranging PR campaign. Of course, Utah wants to bypass the lower courts and go directly to the Trumpist Supreme Court so it can wrest control of the 18.5 million acres of federal public land, not only for grazing, but also for "good things" like mining and motoring.
Miss: In Good Health
As if the holidays aren't stressful enough, now Utahns have to worry about losing their medical coverage. Voters approved an expansion to Medicaid in a 2018 ballot measure, but we know what lawmakers think of the public weighing in on what they want from the government. Right after the initiative passed, legislators moved in to weaken it. They also carefully crafted a "trigger law" that would signal an end to much of the Medicaid benefits if the federal government reduces funding. Right now, one in five people in the U.S. is covered by Medicaid and the incoming president has indicated a "concept of a plan" to get rid of Obamacare, and that means Medicaid is on the table, too. Legislators love the idea of work requirements, which studies debunk. And yet our conservative overlords seem ready to cut your taxes a little while eviscerating your health care.
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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