Source

State Archives of Florida, Series S79

Description

Letter dated May 18, 1976, from Helen Y. Spera to Governor Reubin Askew urging the "members of our State Government" to support the Equal Rights Amendment. There is also a reply dated June 3, 1976, from Nancy Kelley Wittenberg, administrative assistant for Governor Askew, thanking Spera for her letter of support.

Date

1976

Creator

Spera, Helen Y.
Wittenberg, Nancy Kelley

Contributors

Askew, Reubin O'D., 1928-2014

Format

Letters (correspondence)

Coverage

Late 20th-Century Florida (1968-2000)

Topic

Politics And Government

Subjects

Askew, Reubin O'D., 1928-2014
Equal rights amendments
Florida. Governor (1971-1979 : Askew)
United States. Constitution--Amendments
Women -- Legal status, laws, etc
Women's rights

Geographic Term

Pensacola
Escambia County
Tallahassee
Leon County

General Note

Passed by Congress in 1972, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) proposed that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex." Though 35 states had ratified the ERA by the extended 1982 deadline, it still needed the support of a three-fourths majority, or 38 states, to amend the U.S. Constitution. In Florida, the amendment was introduced or voted on in every legislative session from 1972 until 1982. Though it passed the Florida House of Representatives on several occasions, it never passed the Senate. With the deadline fast approaching, Florida was one of four states to hold a special legislative session to decide on the fate of the ERA in the summer of 1982. While it passed the House (60-58), it again failed in the Senate with a 22-16 vote against ratification. It did not pass any of the other three state legislatures in special session that summer, and the ERA was defeated as a constitutional amendment.