Ticking off Lemke

State Senator LeRoy Lemke, a Chicago Democrat who had always been against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) changed his mind and agreed to vote for it in an upcoming committee meeting in the early 80s.

That would have given the pro-ERA forces a 9-8 win and Republican Governor Jim Thompson had pledged to sign the bill if it got to his desk. ERA supporters just had to get through the meeting to achieve victory.

During committee testimony, though, a minister from downstate Illinois stated that he was opposed to the ERA because it was against his religion. State Senator Charlie Chew, a Chicago Democrat who had always supported the ERA, then asked, “What kind of stupid religion do you have?”

That question angered Lemke and he and Chew argued. In the end, Lemke voted against the ERA and the bill to approve it failed in committee on an 8-9 vote.

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