CHEYENNE — Remember the Equal Rights Amendment, the ERA?
According to a recent article in the New York Times, a couple of Democrats in Congress introduced a joint resolution stating that the measure has already been ratified and is enforceable as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution.
The resolution maintained that the National Archivist, who is responsible for the certification and publication of constitutional amendments, must immediately do so.
Their argument was that the ERA, which explicitly prohibits sexual discrimination, is more needed now than ever given the Supreme Court decision banning abortion.
No one expects ratification by the Biden administration to happen, though.
Yet, it was strange to see this issue revived after so many years of being dead.
The movement— labeled the second feminist wave —died when it came up three states short of the required majority by the 1979 deadline.
Initially the number of states to ratify the constitutional amendment was high but narrowed to a trickle as more opposition surfaced. One official said it failed because it became a war among women over the gender’s role.
Support was waning in Wyoming as well.
Nevertheless, in January, 1973, the Wyoming Senate voted to ratify the ERA.
“Supporters in the gallery cheered and rushed outside to crown the nearby statue of Esther Hobart Morris with a garland of gold carnations,” according to an account in the Wyoming Blue Book.
An accompanying photo showed a flock of supporters, including then Secretary of State Thyra Thomson, crowded around and on top of the Morris statue.
The Morris statute, it should be noted sadly, is no longer standing in front of the Capitol Building, but — as the result of a controversial decision — now occupies space in the gallery on the lowest level while her name is embossed on the door of one of the first floor offices.
The ratification was expected to encourage more women to run for the Legislature.
It wasn't terribly effective. There were years when the Senate still had only one or two women members..
The full impact wasn’t noted until much later in the 1980’s and early 1990’s.
That was when the house, not the senate, had three women heading three committees.
They were Nyla Murphy of Casper; Marlene Simons of Beulah, and Peg Shreve of Cody. They all performed well.
Although some women lawmakers, like Dorothy Perkins of Casper, held chairmanships for several years, it was unusual to have three women in the leadership roles in the same session.
That is still a record.
Also still a record are two woman who had top leadership roles; House Speaker Verda James of Casper and Senate President April Brimmer Kunz of Cheyenne.
This year in the Wyoming Senate, two Republican women have key leadership positions.
Tara Nethercott, a Cheyenne attorney, as majority floor leader.
Wendy Schuler, a retired Evanston educator, chair of the Senate Education Committee.
I expected Sen. Cheri Steinmetz of Lingle to get some leadership position this year but she is someone to watch.
She has two committee assignments, labors and and corporations.
In the House, one woman, Rachel Rodriguez-Williams of Park County will be the new chairman of the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee.
That’s still only three out 20 house and senate chairmanships and 93 seats.
We clearly need more women in the Legislature
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Contact Joan Barron at 307-632-2534 or jmbarron@bresnan.net
