Committee to Ratify the Massachusetts State Equal Rights Amendment

The Massachusetts state ERA Coalition (consisting of representatives of 40 civic, religious, business and professional groups), was formed to lobby for the passage of the state ERA through the legislature. In May, 1974 the ERA was endorsed and in the summer of 1975 the Coalition was phased out and the Committee to Ratify the Massachusetts State ERA was created to campaign for ratification in the November 1976 referendum. The Committee replaced the Coalition so that funds could be raised or expended. According to the state's campaign finance laws, non-profit groups (represented in the Coalition) could not render assistance of supplies, facilities or money without endangering their preferred tax status. Thus the Committee was composed of members who assumed responsibility as individuals and not as representatives of particular groups. Although all the finance for the campaign was raised independently, organizations continued to work for ratification through their outreach and educational task forces. The campaign was successfully concluded by ratification in November, 1976.