Recommendation to request City Attorney to prepare a resolution by the first week of March in support of the certification and publication by the National Archivist of the State of Virginia’s ratification of the of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), in addition to support for the joint resolution introduced in Congress on January 21, 2021 to eliminate the arbitrary deadline towards full constitutional ratification.
Thank you very much. Our next item, please, which is item number 15. Item 15. Communication from Councilwoman Mango. Councilwoman Sunday has Councilwoman Allen and Councilwoman Price recommendation to require city attorney to prepare a resolution in support of congressional ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. However, most of my councilman. Mongo councilman. Thank you. Many know the story of the era, and it has gotten additional attention recently with the television series that recently came out. I think it is time that we as a city work towards the bipartisan support of the era. I'm glad to be supported by, I'm sure, all the women on the council. We had four of us on the item, but that's only because of Brown after restrictions. Otherwise, I know all of us would have been on it and I am so thankful to the partnership with the community. We've communicated some opportunities and we hope to celebrate this and many other big victories for women during Women's History Month in March. Councilwoman Price. Mayor. And I want to thank Councilman Mundo for bringing this item forward and for asking me and some of our colleagues to sign on to this item. I'm very, very pleased to support this item. And I think that over the years we've taken. We've taken the opportunity so many times as a council to talk about disparities with both gender and racial, ethnic and financial disparities. I guess it's more than just both, but many disparities that we have recognized as as a council in our city. And I think that we continue to talk our talk about gender equity and celebrate the progress that we have made for women both in the city but also around the country. And efforts like this continue to celebrate the progress, but remind us that we still have tremendous ways to go. And I'm grateful that the city has raised this issue as as one of focus. I know that I have brought an item forth a few years ago, and we worked with Cal State Long Beach to identify some of the the gaps and our in our services and our programing and the things that we need to do as a city to recognize and celebrate gender equity and make it at the forefront of our efforts, as we do with with all issues of equity. So I'm grateful to have signed on to this item and to be joining so many others in supporting this this particular policy action. So thank you very much. And thank you to Councilwoman Rondo for bringing it forth and for connecting us all on this very important topic. Thank you, Councilman Allen. Yes, thank you, Mayor. I'm just. What a great item. And I also want to thank all the council women, Mango Price and Zane de Hoff. And I know that all the women on this council or at this. Neither women or woman or sex are words that appear and constitution. And this definitely reveals the limits. Our Founding Fathers had an understanding of women as equal citizens. This meant that one of the things that this does that went that. Sorry, I just muted myself. And that meant that people of color were regarded as less than full citizens. So ratifying this era would confirm that sex discrimination is inconsistent with the nation's core value of equal protection under the law. And one of the things that this does, it sends a clear message about our national commitment to the equal right of all people. I want to say just a quick thank you and appreciation to Zoe Nicholson, who was a second District resident and sits on the Human Relations Commission. She's just been steadfast and committed to women's rights, and I know she immediately reached out when I got elected. And and I just want to thank her for her dedication to equal rights for women and commend her for her lifetime work. And thank you, Councilwoman Mungo, for bringing this forward. I appreciate it. Thank you, customary, Ringo. Thank you, Mary. And I want to thank all our female cast members for supporting this, to bring it forward. But I would say that if I were invited, I'd be right there working for right in front of it as well with you guys that I think that this makes the city proud again. But we at the forefront of these kinds of issues and certainly have my support. We've always had my support at any time that I could be there. I'm ready. So thank you very much to all councilmembers. Support this forward and looking forward to it. Thank you, Vice Mayor Richardson. Thanks, Mr. Mayor. Wanted to chime in offer my my strong, solid support for this resolution. Look forward to adopting. And I think it sends a good, strong message that, you know, Long Beach is on the right side. We have a council full of, you know, proud, dynamic, educated female leaders, women who are ensuring that we are on the right side of history here and acknowledging this important resolution and the era. And so I'm happy to sign on and I'm happy to vote and support and look forward to when this comes back to council. But Councilman Van De has. Thank you, Major. Thank you very much to Councilwoman Mongo for bringing this item forward and for inviting me to. Beyond this item, I am more than honored to support this item. This legislation in Congress is so, so important, and it really is the last thing standing in the way of that. You are a being enshrined in our nation's constitution. This is long, long overdue. And I'm so glad that Long Beach will have taken our place standing on the right side of history with all of the amazing activists that have made this possible. We still have so much ahead of us to bring an end to gender discrimination, but adding that great to our Constitution is such a powerful step forward, and making making that possible is going to be amazing, not just for ourselves, but for all of the amazing woman who worked so hard to achieve this and the many who didn't live to see this bill come to fruition. So thank you again. Council member Mongo. Councilwoman Sara. Yeah. I also want to thank all of the council women for bringing this item forward and want to thank Zoe Nicholson for being such a staunch advocate for making sure that this is just a priority for us as a majority council women. And it's also just really symbolic as well that we also have our first female vice president. So this is just so meaningful and such as, you know, one of the very many step forward in ensuring that we have gender equity. And so for that, for many of those reasons, then I staunchly support this item. Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Support this item. It is far past time. So thank you to everyone involved. And I'm glad that Zoe Nicholson was also mentioned because she has been leading this effort across the city and really doing great work. So thank you to to her. Is there I believe we do have public comments. I want to go do the public comment on this item and then we'll go. To here, if you wouldn't mind. What am I to do? I can modify my emotions slightly. Oh, sure. Councilman Mongo. Absolutely. Go ahead. Thank you. And we asked for community feedback and received some after the agenda item had been filed. And so we wanted to also modify the motion to include sending a letter to the national archivist that the City of Long Beach supports the publication of the 38th state. So if that could be noted, for the record, we'd like that letter of support sent should this pass, as I hope it will. Sure thing. It's added to the motion public comment, please. Our first speaker is Zoe Nicholls. Thank you very much. This is Zoe Nicholson, and I'm barely able to speak. Uh, how fabulous to hear my name spoken by several of you. Um, I'm really proud of that. Um, I am bursting with pride that after bringing the array to council several times, uh, actually, council came to me. Um, the fact is, since Michelle was Paul wrote it in 1923. Today, right now, in 2021, we are the closest to passing it we have ever been. And I want to tell you why. It's because in 2016, something really significant changed. And that was women started running for office at every level, at every turn, and women were elected. Nevada elected a majority of women into their state legislature. And then African-American veteran and state senator Pat Spearman organized Nevada and broke through that mountain. And Nevada ratified in 2017, thus becoming number 36. Their attorney general certified it, and the archivist in Washington published it in June of 2018. Illinois ratified and again their A-G certified and the archivist published it. In January 2020. Because. Of a majority of women elected to the legislature in the state of Virginia. They completed their. Requirement of a full majority of 38 states. I'm proud to say I was in the balcony when it happened. The Virginia. A.G. certified. And the national archivist got a call. From Bill Barr at the behest of President Trump to stop the publication of the Equal Rights Amendment. And David Ferraro, the national archivist. Is waiting for the green light. And you may know that both President Biden and Vice President Harris have committed to the Equal Rights Amendment. Your letter of support joins with city state citizens, urging this new administration to direct the National Archives, David Farrow to publish that last 38 state and thus adapting the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution. I want to say this is great news for all your daughters, your mothers, your sisters, your aunts, and actually all Americans, regardless of sex. Together, we will finally have equal rights. Thank you. Our next speaker is Marcella de Rivera. Am I still. On? We will have equal rights under the. Marcelo Rivera. They came back thanking me. But thank you. I just want to get in. Thank you. There before my time is up. Thank you. Marcella de Rivera. Marcella de Rivera. Please begin. Mercier. They were very they're. I think that that included a comment or more. Yes, that'll conclude public comment. Okay, then let's go and go to a roll call vote, please. Councilwoman Sunday has high councilwoman Ellen I. Councilwoman Price. II. Councilman Sabina. High. Councilwoman Mango. I. Trans Woman Sara. I. Councilmember Oranga. I. Councilman Austin. Hi. Vice Mayor Richardson. Right. Bush and Kerry.