Two Democratic leaders in the Legislature announced Wednesday they will fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 2011 session -- even though the measure has been stalled in Tallahassee for more than 25 years.
Florida is one of 15 states not to have passed the ERA. While both houses of Congress pushed it through in 1972, only 35 states ratified the amendment in the decade that followed. To amend the Constitution, 38 states must back a proposed measure. The Florida House backed the measure in 1972, 1975, 1978 and 1982. But it never passed the Senate.
Despite this record, two Democratic legislators are vowing to push the ERA again in 2011.
As the first woman to lead the Democratic Caucus in the Florida Senate, Im proud to sponsor the ERA, said Democratic Senate Leader Nan Rich of Sunrise on Wednesday.I am hopeful that with the ERAs passage, we will continue the progress that women have made in taking on leadership roles in business, politics, academia and society in general.
While Republicans have overwhelming majorities in both houses of the Legislature, Rich said that she had four co-sponsors in the Senate.
In the House, freshman Rep. Lori Berman, D-Delray Beach, is introducing the measure.
Equitable rights for all people is an inherent part of being an American, and the foremost duty of our government is to protect those inalienable rights, said Berman. The Equal Rights Amendment will offer formal protection to a womans right to equality.
Carole Griffin, president of the Florida Eagle Forum, said Wednesday that proponents of the ERA have never been able to show a law that needs to be changed to ensure equality of the sexes in Florida. We have laws that give women equal rights, said Griffin. "There is no reason to pass it."
The Eagle Forum, led by conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly, was instrumental in organizing against the ERA in the 1970s and stopping it from becoming law.
Griffin told Sunshine State News that she did not expect the measure to pass, noting that supporters of the ERA have been attempting to push the measure in Florida for almost 30 years without success.
Its an exercise in futility, Griffin said, noting that there were other more pressing matters for the Legislature to deal with. We dont expect it to pass.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
