Equal Rights Amendment fails in Senate committee
| Updated: 3/04/2009 9:50 am |
Published: 3/03/2009 5:35 pm |
An attempt to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, ERA, failed in Arkansas failed in a Senate committee Tuesday. Detractors say it opens Arkansas up to unintended consequences, including more abortions.Supporters say it guarantees equal rights for women in the U.S. constitution. Supporters of the equal rights amendment filled the old supreme court room at the capitol.Originally passed by congress in 1972, 35 states have ratified the ERA in the following four decades. It needs three states to ratify it to become the 28th amendment to the constitution.Senator Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville, says SJR12 helps guarantee equal pay for equal work. “The only right we have now to equality is in statute and I think it deserves to be in the constitution and women should expect it to be in the constitution," says Madison.But groups including Arkansas Right to Life, Arkansas Family Council and Eagle Forum oppose the ERA."Women have come a long way and it's not about employment, I'll tell you that,” says Betsy Hagan with Eagle Forum of Arkansas. “It is about, basically, abortion on demand and same sex marriage."Detractors say the ERA would undo laws already on the books like Arkansas' ban on same-sex marriage.“The recently passed ban on partial birth abortion that all of you voted for would be at risk if ERA is passed in Arkansas," says Rose Mims with Arkansas Right to Life.The voice vote was split 4-4, the resolution needed five votes to move to the full Senate.Representative Lindsley Smith, D-Fayetteville, plans to push a similar resolution in a House committee."Sadness, this shouldn't be a tough vote,” Smith said after the Senate vote. "We have nine solid votes in the House committee and we need two more. We've been working on them as getable."But the best chance to ratify the ERA may have just passed Arkansas by.
The full Senate could vote on the equal rights amendment, bypassing the committee. Even though a majority of the Senate is supporting the ERA, Madison says she will not attempt it. Madison says if an overwhelming majority supported it, she might reconsider.
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