### Brewing Heir Donates Millions to Defeat New York's Equal Rights Amendment

ALBANY, New York - In a significant financial development, the heir to the Schlitz Brewing Company fortune, Richard Uihlein, has contributed $6.5 million to efforts aimed at defeating the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in New York. This substantial donation comes as a significant boost to Republican attempts to derail the amendment, which was initially seen as advantageous to Democrats.

The full extent of the last-minute financial push against the ERA may not be clear until January, due to specific campaign finance regulations in the state that the Republican Party is using to its benefit. Democrats placed the ERA on the ballot this fall, expecting that its provisions on abortion would mobilize voters in key congressional races. However, the campaign supporting the ERA has been slow to gain momentum, falling short of its $20 million fundraising goal.

In contrast, opposition groups have been more active and visible. Protect Kids NY has led with strong earned media presence and a significant number of lawn signs over the summer. Another opposition group, "Vote No On Prop One," was registered with the state Board of Elections only last month but has already raised $8 million since October 11. A majority of this funding came from Richard Uihlein, who is also the founder of a shipping supply company and a notable donor to Republicans, including former President Donald Trump.

Additional funding against the ERA came from Thomas Tisch, a private investor from a family with deep ties in state politics, contributing $1 million to the cause. The opposition has begun spending these funds, with $5 million already allocated towards ads focusing on potential impacts of the ERA, particularly regarding claims it might affect local handling of the migrant crisis and other immigration-related issues.

Moreover, the state Republican Committee has recently increased its visibility in the campaign, with lawn signs stating "No legal rights for illegal migrants, Vote No: Prop 1" joining the efforts of Protect Kids NY. GOP Chair Ed Cox asserted that the party’s involvement is only a small fraction of the entire opposition campaign.

A notable aspect of campaign financing in New York involves "housekeeping" committees, which can receive unlimited donations but are restricted from directly supporting candidates. These committees can fund advertisements for ballot questions, and since Prop 1 is not a candidate, the Republican Party uses housekeeping funds for this campaign. Unlike standard campaign accounts that require pre-election financial disclosures, these committees disclose their finances bi-annually, in January and July, thus delaying full transparency until after the election.