SOUTH DAKOTA JOINS ALABAMA AND LOUISIANA IN LEGAL CHALLENGE TO STOP ACTIVISTS FROM ILLEGALLY AMENDING THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg announced today that South Dakota has joined with the states of Alabama and Louisiana in a lawsuit aimed at protecting the rule of law in the United States. The suit is against the Archivist of the United States — the federal officer who oversees the ratification process for constitutional amendments — seeking to prevent him from illegally adding the long-failed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution.
In 1972, Congress proposed the ERA to the United States Constitution. The States were given seven years to ratify the ERA and make it a formal part of the Constitution. Ratification required three- fourths (38 out of 50) of the States to take place. Over the course of that seven-year period only thirty- five states had ratified the ERA. Prior to the end of the seven-year deadline, five of those states, South Dakota, Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Tennessee, reconsidered and rescinded their ratifications.
Forty years later some States are now seeking to ratify the amendment by attempting to shortcut the proper, legal route to constitutional ratification. According to Ravnsborg this proposed process is flawed. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has recently stated that in order to be added to the Constitution the ERA would have to be put back into the “political hopper” and proponents would be required to restart the ratification process.
“The South Dakota Legislature ratified the ERA in 1973, but in 1979 passed Senate Joint Resolution 2 which required the ERA be ratified in the original time limit set by Congress or be rescinded. Because thirty-eight states failed to ratify the amendment by March 31, 1979 the South Dakota Legislature rescinded its ratification of the ERA,” said Ravnsborg. “It is the duty of the Attorney General to defend and support our Legislature. It would be a disservice to the citizens of South Dakota to ignore this obligation of my office.”
“This is an issue of following the rule of law, the rules that our founding fathers put into place to protect us from government making decisions without the consent or support of ‘we the people,’” continued Attorney General Ravnsborg. “If Congress wants to pass an updated version of the ERA, taking into consideration all the changes in the law since 1972, I have no doubt the South Dakota Legislature would debate the merits in a new ratification process. An amendment to the Constitution should not be done by procedural nuances decades after the deadline prescribed by Congress, but through an open and transparent process where each State knows the ramifications of its actions.”
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ERA Complaint by Pat Powers on Scribd
I am liking Ravnsborg more and more. If you take the time to read the complaint there are concerns about a number of conservative issues. Keep up the good work!
I’ve heard Democrats are looking at taking him out in 2022. Brendan Johnson is angling.
Stephanie or Billie for governor. The world could be very different in a few years.
Last election Ravnsborg beat “the most qualified man to ever run for the office” so of course the Democrats are looking to take him out, they are also looking for a way to get out of debt. Bottom line is that he’s doing a good job and for some reason that still upsets people, go figure
yeah good luck with that—if Ravnsborg keeps defending conservative positions like this what are they going to attack him on?
Experience when he has done the job for 4 years?
Plus law enforcement loves him.
Brendan “I am sponsoring the Pot Amendment” Johnson you have got to be kidding me…
Doubtful. Who really wants a Timmy Johnson reboot? Herseth needs to stay out of politics since she is obviously an opportunist. Billie needs to stay at the bank-who wants somebody who supported Hillary but likes Bernie’s ideas?
None of these three are right for South Dakota or for a free society.
Well if you can’t do it the Constitutional way, then by all means do it the Unconstitutional way. I am surprised this is even being considered.
Does it really surprise you? Does it surprise you that VA’s governor is seemingly going to attempt to take Virginians’ constitutional right to bear arms away? What doesn’t surprise me is the citizens are forming militias and sheriffs are actively rejecting this unconstitutional act.
Democrats are the lawless ones, and history will show that.
Brendan, absolutely worst US attorney in S.D. history, good luck trying to run him for AG, law enforcement can’t stand the guy, and now that he’s pushing pot, you have to be kidding right?
Tommy Daschle is on CNBC this morning touting how Dems taking over in DC will accelerate the legalization of pot nationwide. He’s a board member of some pot company as well. Anybody wonder why Brendan is pushing the measure in SD? Nothing like two SD long time pols getting together to peddle easy SD ballot access for big bucks. And these mutts call Trump corrupt.