Ep 08: Steve Andersson, GOP4ERA & Former IL State Rep: The Unlikely ERA Champion

Equality Talks: The Official ERA Podcast

Meet Steve Andersson, Former Illinois State Representative and President of Momentum Consulting Group LTD. Steve is a Commissioner of Human Rights for the State of Illinois appointed by Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker, serves as a board member for the ERA Coalition and known in parts as the ERA Whisperer.

During his last session in the Illinois House, Representative Andersson was the Chief Republican Sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment and successfully passed the amendment making Illinois the 37th to pass the ERA.

Since passage of the ERA in Illinois, Representative Andersson has traveled the country advocating for passage in additional states. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1992 and is licensed to practice in Illinois, the 7th Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

Host Elisa Parker speaks with Andersson about his legendary effort to ratify the ERA in the state of Illinois, how he convinced fellow Republicans to vote for the ERA and evolvled in his stewardship (he's now pro-choice), why the ERA is not just good for business but good for men and all of humanity.

Hosted by nationally acclaimed radio host and Equal Voices/ERA Coalition, Elisa Parker, Equality Talks bridges the intersections of equality, justice, and social activism to unify as a collective and change the status quo.

Equality Talks focuses on the key facets of equality across all communities, including everything from gender, racial, economic and reproductive justice, to labor, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ rights. Programming for the month of July highlights health and wellness, reproductive justice, liberty and freedom and members of the Congressional ERA Caucus.

For more information on Equality Talks go to www.ERACoaltion.org and www.EqualVoice.org.

The ERA Coalition was founded in 2014 to bring concerted, organized action to the effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA Coalition has a sister organization, the Fund for Women’s Equality, which promotes public education and outreach on the need for constitutional equality. Composed of more than 290 organizations across the country representing millions of people, the Coalition is a movement of movements focused on overall equality in the United States.

While the effort to amend the constitution to include sex equality began nearly a century ago, our renewed efforts are centered on women of color (African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Latina, and Native American), gender-nonconforming and transgender women and girls, and nonbinary people – those who are most impacted by systemic inequities.

www.eracoalition.org | www.fundforwomensequality.org

About Steve:

Steve Andersson, Former Illinois State Representative and President of Momentum Consulting Group LTD (ERA Whisperer)

Steve Andersson is President of the Government Consulting Practice, Momentum Consulting Group LTD, providing counsel and guidance to entities seeking to advocate in the Illinois State Capitol. Prior to forming Momentum, he was a Commissioner of Human Rights for the State of Illinois appointed by Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker. He is also a retired member of the Illinois House of Representatives. During his tenure, he was floor leader for the House Republican Caucus and oversaw all debate on the House floor. In addition, Representative Andersson led a bi-partisan initiative to end the longest state budget impasse in US history, overriding the veto of his own Republican Governor in order to do so.

During his last session in the Illinois House, Representative Andersson was the Chief Republican Sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment and successfully passed the amendment making Illinois the 37th to pass the ERA. Since passage of the ERA in Illinois, Representative Andersson has traveled the country advocating for passage in additional states. He has traveled to Virginia, Arizona, Florida, Missouri, New York, Utah and Washington D.C. and continues his advocacy to this day. He has also published on the topic of passage of the ERA in the N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Change and has written numerous opinion-editorials on the subject. In January 2020, he was featured in an Article published in the Washington Post called, “The man celebrating Virginia’s historic Equal Rights Amendment vote.” By Petula Dvorak. Most recently, he was singled out during floor debate on the removal of the federal deadline for the ERA, by Speaker Nancy Pelosi for his bi-partisan efforts in passing the ERA.

He has been a practicing lawyer since 1992 and is licensed to practice in Illinois, the 7th Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

About Momentum Consulting Group Ltd.

https://www.momentum100.com/about

Momentum Consulting Group Ltd. is an Illinois based government consulting firm where we use our experience in local government, the legislature, the judiciary and the administration for the advancement of our clients interests. We represent a diverse group of clients who believe that individuals, government, and business can work together to improve our communities and our state. Our practice is non-partisan, and open to any who seek an honest advocate for their position.

We build solutions by closely listening to our clientele and understanding their expectations. We know how to analyze this information and customize our offerings to changing needs. Get in touch today to learn more about the Momentum Consulting Group, Ltd.