January 6, 2025

Dear Family and Friends,

Today, January 6, 2026, marks the Feast of the Epiphany—a day traditionally observed on this fixed date in the Episcopal tradition, celebrating the revelation of light and hope to all people, as symbolized by the journey of the wise men guided by a star to honor the newborn Jesus.

This story reminds us of the power of seeking truth, embracing new paths, and extending welcome and dignity to everyone, no matter their background. It calls us to reflect on how moments of revelation can inspire us to work toward greater justice, inclusion, and equality in our world today.

On this very day, as the second session of the 119th United States Congress gets underway, a grassroots petition urging Senator Lisa Murkowski to champion the final affirmation of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is rapidly gaining signatures.  Click here to add your voice to the growing number fighting for Equalty

It’s Time to Pass the ERA

The ERA, first proposed over a century ago, would explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in the U.S. Constitution—a principle that enjoys overwhelming public support but remains absent from our founding document. Thirty-eight states have now ratified it, meeting the constitutional threshold, yet a deadline imposed in 1972 continues to block its full recognition. Senator Murkowski, a longtime bipartisan leader on this issue, is uniquely positioned to help remove that barrier once and for all.

The Origins of the 1972 Seven-Year Deadline

When Congress passed House Joint Resolution 208 on March 22, 1972, proposing the ERA for ratification, it included a seven-year time limit in the resolving clause: the amendment would only become valid if ratified by three-fourths of the states “within seven years from the date of its submission” (initially expiring March 22, 1979, and later extended by Congress to June 30, 1982).

This deadline was not required by the Constitution—Article V is silent on time limits—but reflected evolving congressional practice:

• It followed precedent established after the 18th Amendment (Prohibition, 1917), the first to include a ratification deadline. Every proposed amendment from the 20th through the 26th followed suit with seven-year limits, viewing them as a way to ensure amendments captured “contemporaneous consensus” rather than allowing indefinite ratification.
• As the Supreme Court noted in Dillon v. Gloss (1921), ratification should occur within a reasonable period to reflect current societal views. The seven years was deemed balanced: sufficient for state deliberation but preventing amendments from lingering across generations (though the 27th Amendment’s 203-year ratification in 1992 later demonstrated flexibility).
• Proponents in 1972 anticipated swift success—22 states ratified in the first year alone—and the deadline was intended to build urgency and momentum. Placing it in the preamble (not the amendment text) allowed Congress to extend it later, as it did in 1978 when momentum slowed.

Despite strong initial support, ratification stalled at 35 states by 1982, and the deadline’s expiration created lasting legal ambiguity—even as Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia ratified decades later, reaching 38 in 2020.

The Modern Push: Deadlines as Tools for Urgency

Today’s petition to Senator Murkowski incorporates its own strategic deadline, tied to the opening of this congressional session. Like the original 1972 limit, this creates focused momentum at a pivotal moment—when committees reorganize, priorities are set, and bipartisan opportunities emerge early in the term.

Without such urgency, efforts can dissipate in Washington’s fast-paced environment. A deadline mobilizes supporters, amplifies visibility, and enables organizers to present a strong compilation of voices directly to the senator’s office during high-profile periods.

In the ERA context, this pressure is especially vital. Bipartisan resolutions to remove the 1972 deadline and affirm the amendment—such as S.J.Res.38 in the current 119th Congress—have been reintroduced repeatedly, with Murkowski as a key cosponsor. Yet progress has stalled amid partisan divides. Grassroots petitions like this one reinforce that equality transcends party lines and demand action before positions harden.

Why Senator Murkowski Must Listen—and Lead

Senator Murkowski, a longtime bipartisan leader on this issue, is uniquely positioned to help remove that barrier once and for all. Alaska ratified the ERA swiftly in 1972, and Senator Murkowski has consistently cosponsored resolutions to eliminate the 1972 deadline, emphasizing that “there is no time limit on equality.”

As a moderate Republican known for independence and cross-aisle collaboration, Murkowski has cosponsored resolutions to eliminate the arbitrary 1972 deadline in multiple Congresses, including the bipartisan effort reintroduced in 2025. Her voice carries significant weight in a closely divided Senate, where moderates can bridge gaps and push for hearings, votes, or legislative action to affirm the ERA. And we are asking that she circulate a “Dear Colleague” letter. Click here to sign the petition.

Ignoring growing constituent demands risks alienating the diverse coalition that has sustained her leadership, including Alaskans who value fairness on issues from indigenous rights to resource equity. Public pressure empowers her to push for hearings, votes, or attachments to must-pass legislation—ensuring the ERA is finally published and enforced as the 28th Amendment.

In an era when women’s rights face new challenges, explicit constitutional protection against sex discrimination is more urgent than ever. The original 1972 deadline was meant to spur timely consensus; today’s petition deadline serves the same purpose—to remind our leaders that the American people are ready.

Today’s petition incorporates its own strategic deadline, tied to this congressional session, to create focused momentum—just as the original sought to spur action. In an era when women’s rights face ongoing challenges, explicit constitutional protection against sex discrimination is more urgent than ever. Like the light that guided the wise men, this moment calls us to move forward with purpose and commitment to justice.

Just as that ancient journey led to transformation and a different road home, may we too be inspired to take new steps toward equality, inclusion, and advocacy. There is no deadline on justice.

Sign and Share the petition today: https://c.org/4BmwFwNDXF Let Senator Murkowski know: Equality can’t wait. There is no deadline on justice.

Love and Light,

Helene de Boissiere-Swanson

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