Bill Kottel: Florida is large in the debate of the era - Talahasi Democrat

Bill Kottel
| Capitoli column

In the last days of his term, former President Joe Biden has announced that the amendment to equal rights is already part of the US Constitution – although its final ratification by three state legislative authorities has happened several decades after the extended period set by Congress.

The opinion of the departing president had only a symbolic impact. Biden did not order national archivist Colin J. Shogan to publish the era and there is no chance for President Donald Trump to do so.

In the past, Florida played a critical role in rejecting what would be the 28th amendment.

The era, stating that the equality of rights was not cut on the basis of gender, was approved by Congress in 1972 with a seven -year approval period of 38 countries. Only 35 voted for this until 1980, so the Congress extended the deadline by about 33 months, but no more countries were signed.

Six countries that ratified the amendment have changed their minds and canceled their votes, but it is debatable whether they can do so.

Hawaii, the first country to approve the amendment, did this on the same day the proposal accepted the Congress. Florida was considering the change quite carefully for almost 48 hours. Florida’s home approved the era and sent her to the Senate where she hit what would be a fatal schnag.

The Florida Constitution required election to be made before legislators could vote for each federal amendment. Well, there is no biggie, we’ll just do it next year, Senate President Jerry Thomas decided.

This gave the opposition to organize, to cause public fears for same -sex marriage and “unisex” public toilets.

Opponents have warned that when changing equal rights, men can abandon their families, the winners of the wife will be released, abortions and rape laws can be invalidated. And the military project had come to Vietnam then, so ERA’s opponents also asked if the Americans wanted their daughters in battle.

Some arguments sound familiar today.

Proponents of the era – including Rubin Askeu and Bob Graham, Florida Governors from 1971 to 1986 – claim that many of the things that opponents have been raised can already be done by law, with or without amending the Constitution. Indeed, some of them have appeared without civil society breaking up.

However, you can see which country wins. The Senate in Florida steadily rejected the era. The house, which passed it 91-4 for the first time, voted for it only with 62-58 margin in 1975 to 1982, the last time, the approval of the house fell to 60-58.

It was quite a while in Talahasi. Feminists put mass marches. The actress “This Girl” on television Marlo Thomas and Mash star Alan Alda came to Talahasi to promote the era. First lady Betty Ford called some legislators with encouragement but did not make converts. Florida Prosecutor Bob Shevin has written a legal analysis, refuting the positions of anti-era.

There was a short-term threat of boycotting the orange Florida juice deactivated by Alda, who peel off orange on the steps of the old Capitol and said to the crowd, “It’s like era, that’s good for you.”

On the other hand, a brigade of women in red blazers with octagonal signs to stop their lapels, pressed to members in Capitol and back home. Taking into account the committees, many introduced themselves with their married names – like G -John Smith – just to annoy the feminists. They insisted on being called lady or lady, never g -i

When the era failed, the opponents gave small breads to the members who had voted “No.” They were marked, “From bread bakers to bread producers, thank you for keeping us girls.”

Naturally, the era has become an offender of the deal in both political parties. It does not appear often, but you rarely find a Democrat that opposes the change or the Republican who favors him.

After the end of the extension period of ratification in 1982, it was believed that the era started on the path of mood rings, domestic rocks and other relics of the disco. But a few years ago, the Democrats refer to the old legal doctrine that the letter of the law should be observed strictly, except when they lose.

Nevada, Virginia and Illinois ratified the change about 30 years and more after the deadline, and Biden supported this action. So maybe he will go to court-it’s not a very promising perspective with Trump in the White House and his majority 6-3 in the Supreme Court.

Bill Kottel is a retired Capitol reporter for UNITED Press International and Democrat Tallahassee. It can be reached on [email protected].

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Bill Kottel: Florida is large in the debate of the era – Talahasi Democrat

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