The people of Oklahoma have the opportunity to have their voices heard and play a part in the making of herstory to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). As of today, Oklahoma may be a great opportunity for supporters and advocates of the ERA to add one of the two states needed to ratify the Amendment, whether it be through connecting with their state legislators, participating in demonstrations, or raising awareness through social media.
“The Oklahoma Senate and House are next in session on February 4, 2019- – let’s get ERA voted on in THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION!”
Call your representative now!
Historical Context Regarding the ERA in Oklahoma
A multitude of ERA supporters were based in Oklahoma. Some of the advocates for the Equal Rights Amendment included Oklahoma State Representatives Hannah Atkins and Cleta Deatherage, Wanda Jo Peltier Stapleton, and Ann Savage among others. Atkins was the first African-American woman to serve in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and would later become Secretary of State of Oklahoma, becoming the highest-ranking woman in office until her retirement in 1991. Serving between 1976 and 1984, Deatherage quickly became the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee at a young age and stood out for her commitment to ratifying the Amendment. Wanda Jo Peltier Stapleton helped organize the Oklahoma Women’s Political Caucus which advocated for the ERA during the 1970s and 1980s and would later serve as a State Representative from 1986 through 1996. Ann Savage was president of the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma and later worked on the national board of the League of Women Voters in Washington, D.C. Savage also served as Executive Director of OK ERA, an organization focused on passing the ERA in the Sooner State. Both David Hall, the Governor of Oklahoma from 1971 through 1975 and Dan Draper, the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1979 through 1983, were prominent ERA supporters. Phyllis Schlafly’s Stop ERA organization led the opposition to the Amendment nationally and Ann Patterson led anti-ERA forces in Oklahoma. On March 29, 1972, in part due to the efforts of Patterson, the ERA was defeated in the Oklahoma House of Representatives with 36 Representatives in favor and 52 opposed.
Oklahoma became the first state to reject the ERA nationwide in 1972. Despite the extensive campaigning in the state during the early 1980s by ERA supporters such as Marlo Thomas, Alan Alda, and former Vice President Walter Mondale, anti-ERA forces gained ground throughout 1982. On January 13, 1982, the Oklahoma Senate voted against the ratification of the ERA with 27-21 opposed to the Amendment. Despite the vote in opposition, Senate President Pro Tempore Marvin York lodged a motion to reconsider. A Gallup poll from January 1982 indicated that 44 percent of Oklahomans supported the ERA, 39 percent opposed the Amendment, and 15 percent were undecided.
Representative Draper considered a state-level Equal Rights Amendment, but reversed his position in February of 1982. In an article from United Press International published in March 1982, the project director for the National Organization for Women’s ERA Countdown in Oklahoma, Ruth Adams, indicated that she believed that the Amendment had been held up by legislative disagreements, with the Oklahoma Senate and House contending that the other needed to act first on approving the ERA. By June of 1982, however, Gallup polls in Oklahoma illustrated that only 31 percent of Oklahomans supported the ERA while 48 percent opposed it, with 20 percent undecided.
Recent Events Regarding the ERA in Oklahoma
The ERA has not been introduced in Oklahoma’s most recent legislative sessions. However, recent events regarding sexual misconduct in the Oklahoma statehouse has the potential to lead to greater support for equality amongst Oklahomans. According to a September 23, 2017 article by the Associated Press, seven legislators have resigned since the most recent election on November 2016. Three of the legislators, all Republicans, resigned due to high-profile sexual misconduct scandals, and a fourth scandal emerged involving a former aide to Governor Mary Fallin. It is possible that in the aftermath of the scandals roiling the statehouse, the members of the Oklahoma Legislature may become motivated to demonstrate their respect for women by supporting the ERA.
Please call your State Senators and Representatives and encourage them to support the ratification of the ERA in Oklahoma.
Be sure to stay informed on news and events regarding the progress of the ERA through the Equal Means Equal website at www.equalmeansequal.org.