Biography

In 1992, the Johnson County ERA Coalition was organized in Iowa City to promote the passage of an Equal Rights Amendment to Iowa's state constitution. The Johnson County ERA Coalition worked closely with other organizations such as ERA Iowa 1992, the League of Women Voters, and the Iowa Women's Equality Campaign. ERA Iowa 1992, for example, which was headquartered in Des Moines, prepared much of the publicity materials and literature used by the Johnson County ERA Coalition. The Johnson County ERA Coalition held public meetings and organized fundraising events such as parades, concerts, and walkathons. Maureen Taylor was the head of the Johnson County ERA Coalition. Kathy Penningroth, the director of the speaker's bureau, organized local speeches and a slide show. Other key figures in the organization included Rusty Martin (publicity), Lisa Suter (fundraising), Amy Folberg (treasurer), and Ellen Heywood and Clara Oleson (quilt project). Pat Jensen of the League of Women Voters served on the board.

The Iowa ERA was defeated in 1992 by a popular vote of 52%-48%. This was the second defeat for Iowa's state ERA (the first was in 1980). The Feminist Majority Foundation, which had been involved in the 1992 campaign, conducted an analysis after its defeat. Their report concluded that the broad political context of the 1992 elections was unfavorable for the ERA's passage, and that fears about homosexuality and the destruction of family values were key to the amendment's defeat. A copy of this report, "New Strategies, Old Obstacles in the Fight for Equality: An Analysis of the 1992 Iowa ERA Referendum Campaign," is shelved in the Iowa Women's Archives printed works collection (fHQ.1236.5.U6 F45 1993).

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