41 years ago, Indiana was last state to approve the Equal Rights Amendment

The Indiana Statehouse gallery was jammed with proponents and opponents for the Equal Rights Amendment vote. The Indiana Senate passed it with a 26-24 vote.

Today's world is in a constant state of change and Indiana is not immune.

As the #metoo movement continues to unmask sexual harassment and discrimination across the country, Rep. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond, and Sen. Jean Breaux, D-Indianapolis lead another push for change to benefit Hoosier women.

Equal-pay legislation is on the agenda for Indiana lawmakers as it has been for the last 20 years. The hope in 2018 is that with all that is happening in the country, the efforts for change won't fall on deaf ears.

Lawmakers propose equal-pay law:'Why do we not treat the women of Indiana fairly?'

RetroIndy:The women's suffrage movement in Indiana

California, Colorado, Delaware, Nevada, Oregon and Puerto Rico enacted a variety of equal pay laws in 2017. But that doesn't guarantee Indiana will be next to join the list.

There are no winks or handshakes to ensure Indiana lawmakers will even have a close vote.

This march for change in the current climate for women brings to the forefront an important moment in Indiana history.

Indiana became the 35th and last state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment on Jan. 18, 1977, thanks to a last-minute telephone call from President-elect Jimmy Carter and his wife, Roselyn, to Sen. Wayne Townsend, D-Hartford City.

The call was arranged through the office of U.S. Senator Birch Bayh, who was a strong supporter of the amendment.

The ERA measure was passed by the Indiana House of Representatives on Feb. 14, 1973, by a margin of 53-45. The Indiana Senate was deadlocked at 25 to 25 on the the morning of Jan. 18, but the call to a wavering Townsend was the push the measure needed. At 3 p.m., the vote was 26 to 24.

Six Indiana State Police troopers were stationed in the Senate chambers as both supporters and opposition groups jammed the Statehouse to witness the historic event.

The Indianapolis Star reported, Senate Majority Leader Thomas Teague, D-Anderson, a vocal supporter of the ERA, sobbed quietly at his desk and later called it, “Indiana’s finest hour.”

Sen. Joan Gubbins, R-Indianapolis, the leading opponent forecasted the measure would lead to homosexual marriage, sexual deviancy, female soldiers and motherless children.

In 1978, Congress extended the March 1979 ratification deadline to June 30, 1982. However, no additional states voted yes before that date and the measure fell three states short of ratification and never became law.

The text of the amendment read:

  • Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
  • Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
  • Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

Chris Sims is a digital producer at IndyStar. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims. Call Star producer Dawn Mitchell at (317) 444-6497. Follow her on Twitter: @dawn_mitchell61.