History repeats itself as Arkansas rejects the ERA Again

In a special order of business Wednesday February 7, 2007, the Arkansas House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs heard the pros and cons of ratifying the ERA sponsored by House Rep. Linsley Smith (D) of Fayetteville. The ERA was rejected in a 10-10 tied vote. Larry Page, Executive Director, Arkansas Faith & Ethics Council, reported that the debate was intense. Phillis Schlafly of Eagle Forum flew into Little Rock to testify before the committee. She told the lawmakers that, “The amendment pretends to help women, but it does nothing for them.” She added that the amendment would make all federal laws sex-neutral.

Committee member Daniel Greenberg, R-Little Rock, thanked Arkansas Republican Assembly President, Patrick Briney, for his pamphlet, Six Reasons to Oppose the ERA saying, “I appreciate the way it addressed serious legal issues, which is sometimes lacking in our discussion of these things in the state legislature. I tried to follow the model of your approach in my discussion of the ERA in committee today (I voted no).” Arkansas Family Coalition newsletter reported that Mr. Greenberg, “asked some of the most incisive questions about ERA to its chief sponsor Lindsley Smith. Rep. Greenberg cut right to the heart of the matter in the course of his questioning….”

According to Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the NRLC, some lawmakers withdrew support when they heard that ERAs have been used to require tax funding of abortion. Twenty of the original sixty co-sponsors of the bill removed their names from the amendment on Tuesday after being educated on the history and ramifications of the amendment. As of this latest failure to be ratified, the ERA has been rejected three times in Arkansas.

The ERA was first introduced in 1972. To amend the U.S. Constitution, thirty-eight states must ratify the ERA. Proponents of the bill claim that thirty-five states have ratified ERA, and only three more states are needed. However, five states (Nebraska, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky, and South Dakota) have since rescinded their ratifications. The fifteen states that never ratified the ERA include Arkansas, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia.

House Rep. Linsley Smith, the measure's lead sponsor, vowed to bring the bill up again before the Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs at a later date. "I'm looking forward to continuing the fight for equality," she said.
See Also: After debate, vote of 10-10 mires ERA in House panel (NW AR Edition of Arkansas Democrat Gazette)

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