Authored by Alice Paul and first introduced to Congress in 1923, the Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress in 1972.

It failed to become the Twenty-eighth Amendment after three states of the needed 38 states failed to ratify it.

Berman, elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2010, has set out to make Florida the 36th state to ratify it — despite uncertainties over whether too much time has passed for the proposed amendment to still be viable.

“There is precedent for it going on,” Berman said. “I’m sure if that if Florida was one of those states we could make sure that it could become an amendment to the Constitution.”

Earlier this month, Berman filed HCR 8001, legislation that would provide for Florida to ratify the ERA.

“The Equal Rights Amendment will offer Constitutional protection to a woman’s right to equality,” she said. “I have always been a strong advocate and proponent for women’s rights in all arenas and this is an inherent part of being an American.”

Berman said President Abraham Lincoln, who pushed for the end of slavery in 1864, used the Thirteenth Amendment to lock in the end of slavery.

Supporters said the ERA would improve conditions for women in the workplace and, possibly, guarantee equal pay.

In 2011, women — on average — earned 77 percent of what men made, according to the U.S. Census.

Sheila Jaffe, a South Florida resident and retired nurse, said discrimination was common in the workplace.

“It was very acceptable for employers to discriminate against women, saying, “well, they’re going to leave the workforce and they’re going to have children and that’s why we can pay them less,” she said. “It would be better for our country if women were given equal rights.”

For all the progress the United States has made as a nation, Tom Duncan, the president of Northwood University, said the push for equality could lead to unintended consequences.

“A lot of people are going to look at that and say, “well, you know, we want equality when it comes to pay, to jobs, to employment, to lending — across the board — [but] if you ask people in the United States, “do you want to draft women in case of a major war,” you might get a different answer on that.”

This week, a petition was created on The White House Web site, to encourage the administration to campaign for the ratification of the ERA.

– Alex Sanz

At his Colorado Avenue office, the Palm Beach Gardens Republican kept his message positive and wove military quotes into his seven-minute address. In the District 18 race that fielded almost $24 million among the candidates and outside groups, West fell by 1,904 votes to his Jupiter Democrat foe.

“The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph will be,” West told supporters. “So don’t come here tonight crying over your barbecue. Come here tonight and understand that at this place, at this time, there will be an awakening that will go forth all across the United States of America.”

Here are some insights West shared after the event.

Ballot counting

Asked whether he was satisfied with the results St. Lucie County produced, West said that’s up to the people to determine.

St. Lucie never counted 306 early ballots until a week and half after the election. St. Lucie also failed to count or double-counted thousands of early votes on Election Night. All the issues were remedied with a partial recount, Supervisor of Elections Gertrude Walker has said. Results from a subsequent recount of all early ballots extended Murphy’s lead, but the canvassing board did not finish in time to report updated results to the state.

West conceded last Tuesday, saying his lawyers advised him there weren’t enough miscounted votes to sway the outcome.

“I think the people are not satisfied. And so the people are going to take that message on,” West said. “The most important thing that we did, we continued to fight so that every vote counted. And if there were some nefarious activities, the people will make sure that they continue that on. But the republic has to be restored, and if these people don’t have trust and confidence in the electoral process, then we don’t have the consent of the governed, and that’s my concern moving forward.”

Staying in Florida

After an expensive election that turned personal for each candidate, West assured reporters Tuesday that he’s holding up fine.

“It’s not like my life ends, and my life of service to this country doesn’t,” he said.

West first ran for Congress in 2008 in the Broward-Palm Beach seat he currently fills, but lost to then-U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, a Democrat. West bounced back behind Tea Party support in 2010 to upend the District 22 incumbent. As for plans to run for office, West said he hasn’t decided.

“That’s not for now. Now is to show appreciation for all these folks that did so much,” West said. “That’s between my wife and I and God as far as where we’re going to go. Folks have to understand that God orders your steps, not man, and better doors are going to open.”

The Georgia-born Republican already has gotten an invitation from GOP officials one state north to run for Congress there in 2014, but he said it’s not something he wants to pursue.

“My wife was the daughter of a career military guy, and then she married a career military guy,” West said. “We came here eight years ago and this is our home. We got a daughter in college down here, we’ve got a daughter in high school. This is where we live, and we’re honored to be down here in South Florida.”

Personal attacks

West pointed out that the campaign got ugly, and he said it wasn’t issue-centered.

Thomas Murphy Jr., Murphy’s dad and CEO of Coastal Construction Group, donated $250,000 to a super PAC that ran an ad where a cartoonish West in boxing gloves punched women and seniors. The ad claims West hurt these groups with his congressional votes. West called the TV spot racist.

The candidates’ attacks peaked when West ran an ad featuring Murphy’s mug shot from 2003. At 19, Murphy was arrested for disorderly intoxication and using a fake ID outside a South Beach club. Charges were dropped.

Murphy countered with an ad about West’s military service in Iraq, where in 2003 he fired a gun near a detainee’s head. West faced a $5,000 fine but charges were dropped and he retired with full benefits.

“I think it’s pretty tough when you’re running against all the media down here, and when people are portraying you as a war criminal and saying some things about me beating my wife,” West said. “It was just a very ugly campaign where people didn’t really focus on issues. But that’s behind us now. The most important thing is I want to make sure we have a great future for my daughters and for their children and grandchildren. That’s what we fight for.”

Criticizes Murphy

West criticized Murphy for running on a moderate Democratic platform, but getting support from former House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. He referenced an article on the Daily Kos that Murphy wouldn’t join the moderate Blue Dog Democrats. Murphy has said he will join the New Democrat Coalition, another moderate Democratic group.

“I would tell you something you all never asked me about was his pledge to the Daily Kos that he would not have anything to do with Blue Dog Democrats, the conservatives,” West said. “We’ve heard that song before. We know exactly what happens.”

Veterans Issues

The congressman pledged to stay involved on the Treasure Coast, particularly in veterans issues.

“There are plenty of community activities. I’m a 22-year veteran, there’s no one speaking up for veterans down here, so that’s the No. 1 thing that I will continue to do.”

West potentially has important votes to cast in a lame-duck session through the year’s end. He stressed that he doesn’t support new taxes as part of a deal for the looming “fiscal cliff” — a combination of expiring tax breaks and steep across-the-board spending cuts that will take effect in January without congressional action.

“We have to look at economic growth and how do we broaden the tax base, because anyone who’s a student of economics can tell you that raising taxes is not going to do anything,” West said. “If you look at the President’s fiscal year 2013 budget that wants to raise like $1.9 trillion, you still get the debt, it increases over the next 10 years to $26 trillion. You have deficits that never go below $900 billion. It never balances. But what do you get? A 53-percent increase in the federal government. It’s a spending problem in Washington D.C., it’s not a revenue problem. And I will continue to talk about that as my voice goes on.”

– Jonathan Mattise, TCPalm

In a statement released early Tuesday, West congratulated Patrick Murphy, his Democratic challenger, and said he would not contest the election.

“For two weeks since Election Day, we have been working to ensure every vote is counted accurately and fairly. We have made progress towards that goal, thanks to the dedication of our supporters and their unrelenting efforts to protect the integrity of the democratic process. While many questions remain unanswered, today I am announcing that I will take no further action to contest the outcome of this election.

While there are certainly still inaccuracies in the results, and the actions of the St. Lucie County and Palm Beach County Supervisors of Elections rightly raise questions in my mind and for many voters, after much analysis and this past weekend’s recount in St. Lucie County, our legal team does not believe there are enough over-counted, undercounted or fraudulent votes to change the outcome of the election.

While a contest of the election results might have changed the vote totals, we do not have evidence that the outcome would change. Given the extremely high evidentiary hurdles involved in a successful challenge, I will not ask my generous supporters to help fund a drawn-out, expensive legal effort with little chance of success. Therefore, we will not contest the certification or challenge the seating of Congressman-elect Murphy.

Serving the people in the House of Representatives has been among the highest honors of my life, but this seat does not belong to me, or for that matter, to any individual. It belongs to the people.

I want to congratulate my opponent, Patrick Murphy, as the new Congressman from the 18th Congressional District. I pray he will serve his constituents with honor and integrity, and put the interests of our nation before his own.

I must thank my wife Angela, and my daughters Aubrey and Austen for their support, patience, understanding and most of all, love. These are three of the toughest women I know. They have sent me off to defend our nation overseas at war, and to Capitol Hill to serve our nation in the House of Representatives. They have all handled the challenges of these last few months, and the last many years, with amazing grace. I know they will be by my side for whatever is our next chapter.

I want to thank my congressional and campaign staff for their service, and most importantly, I want to thank all of our tremendous supporters who provided their time and money to power our campaign. I am humbled by the dedication and perseverance of our supporters, and their commitment to a free and prosperous America. I cannot thank them enough for all they have done for our campaign, but most importantly, what they have done, and will continue to do for our country. None of us should let the outcome discourage us. We should only redouble our resolve.

Above all, I want to thank God for his blessings, and for blessing me with the opportunity to serve.

Only God knows what is in store for each of us. I have dedicated my life to serving this nation, and the results of this election will not change my purpose. Just as I did in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, just as I did on Capitol Hill, I will continue to fight for our Republic.

Our nation will not overcome our challenges overnight, and the road ahead for each one of us will not be easy. But this nation would never have become that shining beacon of light if our founders had chosen the easy path 236 years ago. We all must proudly continue their legacy.

For the protection and preservation of our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, I shall remain steadfast and loyal. God bless you and God bless these United States of America.”

The concession came two weeks after the incumbent Republican first raised questions about the integrity of the election and hours before the state Election Canvassing Committee certified the election.

“I appreciate Congressman West’s gracious concession today,” Murphy said in a statement. “I am truly humbled that the voters of the 18th district have entrusted me to represent them in Washington. To those who supported my opponent, my door is open and I want to hear your voice. I campaigned on a message of reaching across the aisle to get things done for the people of the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches, and that is as important in this district as it is in Washington. I am excited and honored to get to work.”

– Alex Sanz

On Sunday, Murphy was projected to be the winner of one of the most expensive and and most-watched Congressional races in the country after a retabulation of early votes in St. Lucie County widened his lead over U.S. Rep. Allen West.

“We have been declared the winner three times now,” Murphy said. “A lot of the votes have been counted three times so the voters should be very comfortable that the results of this election are good.”

The Murphy campaign declared him Congressman-elect after the St. Lucie County Canvassing Board missed a Noon deadline to certify its results to the state Division of Elections.

Earlier, unofficial certified results reported to the state stand under Florida law, the campaign said.

Murphy said neither the West campaign or the incumbent Republican had reached out to him.

“Despite everything there has been no sign of that yet,” Murphy said. “My focus is getting to work … we have so many problems in our country right now [that] we can’t be distracted with all [of] this. We have to focus on the solutions at hand and not all these conspiracy theories.”

It appeared late Monday that West had few options available to him yet.

Jeffrey Scott Shapiro, a volunteer attorney who last week filed a petition with Secretary of State Ken Detzner to investigate the election and order a district-wide recount, said West could contest the election, but did not know if he would.

“Where we are are at right now is a period of reflection, reassessment and reconsideration,” he said. ” We have to look at some of the numbers that came out of St. Lucie. We’ve had some problems there in terms of accuracy, so even though they finally came through in terms of having this retabulation for all eight days of the early votes, we need to look at the data and make sure the data is accurate.”

Last week, after a partial recount of ballots cast during the final three days of early voting in St. Lucie County, Murphy led West by 1,907 votes or a margin of more than 0.5% — more than what would trigger an automatic recount.

After the weekend retabulation, Murphy led West by about 2,100 votes, the Murphy campaign said.

On Friday, the Canvassing Board agreed to retabulate all eight days of early voting after it discovered more than 300 ballots had not been counted.

“The American mentality has to change,” Shapiro said. “We have to stop viewing elections like we do the Super Bowl. This isn’t a recreational activity where once the polls close at seven o’clock we get an answer by ten and everybody can go on to their victory party and collect bets. I think that everybody has to realize that supervisors of election need time — and should have time — to methodically, slowly count votes and make sure that they are being counted accurately.”

A campaign spokesperson said the earliest West would make a decision about what to do next was Tuesday.

– Alex Sanz

The unofficial, certified results filed last Sunday stand under Florida law, the campaign said, though a weekend retabulation of 37,000 early ballots put Murphy ahead of U.S. Rep. Allen West, preliminary figures showed.

“Today at Noon, it became clear Patrick Murphy will be officially certified as the next Congressman from the 18th Congressional District,” Murphy for Congress campaign manager Anthony Kusich said. “The voters have spoken and Patrick Murphy is once again the clear winner.  It is beyond time to put this campaign behind us and put the interests of the people of the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches first.”

Last week, after a partial recount of ballots cast during the final three days of early voting in St. Lucie County, Murphy, a Democrat, led West by 1,907 votes or a margin of more than 0.5% — more than what would trigger an automatic recount.

After the weekend retabulation, Murphy led West by about 2,100 votes, the Murphy campaign said.

West for Congress campaign manager Tim Edson said St. Lucie County botched the latest retabulation of early votes and the election was far from decided.

“Today’s actions cast an even greater cloud of suspicion over the results of St. Lucie County than existed before,” he said. “Consequently, the highly-suspect results will be submitted to the Secretary of  State today — even though the canvassing board has already admitted they may contain serious errors.”

On Friday, the Canvassing Board agreed to retabulate all eight days of early voting after it discovered more than 300 ballots had not been counted.

– Alex Sanz

The decision came hours after a St. Lucie County judge denied a request by U.S. Rep. Allen West for a full recount of early votes in the race for the 18th Congressional district.

The recount of every early vote cast for every race was expected to begin on Saturday morning and would include the three days of early voting that were retabulated earlier this week.

Tod Mowery, a member of the Canvassing Board, said the ballots — which were found in a box — had not been counted.

“We are pleased the Canvassing Board has done the right thing for the voters of St Lucie County by agreeing to a retabulation of early votes,” said West. ”All we have been fighting for since the very beginning is to ensure the citizens of this county have their votes accurately and fairly counted.”

Earlier on Friday, attorneys for West argued that discrepancies in vote totals and reported equipment malfunctions warranted a recount to ensure the integrity of the race.

Attorneys for Supervisor of Elections Gertrude Walker and Patrick Murphy, the projected winner of the race, countered that Judge Dan Vaughn would have invited error and chaos if he had sided with West.

Vaughn said the elements for a temporary injunction had not been met.

West, the Tea Party favorite who appeared to be headed for defeat, has refused to concede.

After a partial recount of ballots cast during the final three days of early voting in St. Lucie County, Murphy, a Democrat, led West by 1,907 votes or a margin of more than 0.5% — more than what would trigger an automatic recount.

“It stands to reason that if the remaining early votes were to be recounted, additional errors would be uncovered and the tabulation of votes revised accordingly,” Allen West for Congress said in a statement.

The campaign called the recount a “sham” and said all eight days of early voting in St. Lucie County should be have been recounted.

Late Thursday, West’s attorneys said they had discovered possible discrepancies in St. Lucie County after a review of early and absentee ballot information.

Nearly 1,000 votes may be in question, according to Tim Edson, Allen West for Congress campaign manager.

In a letter to Secretary of State Ken Detzner, attorneys said 110 early votes were cast in a precinct that didn’t have enough early voters to support the number of votes cast.

Four hundred eighty-eight people cast early votes in precinct 28, they said, but election returns showed 499 early votes were counted.

Attorneys also raised concerns about 121 voters they said had returned absentee ballots but did not appear to have been assigned precinct.

Earlier, volunteer attorneys for West had petitioned Detzner to conduct a preliminary investigation into the election and for a machine recount in three counties.

Attorneys Mark Young and Jeffrey Scott Shapiro said 809 votes disappeared when the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections retabulated the final three days of early votes on Sunday.

Young and Shapiro said the missing votes, which accounted for 3.2% of the retabulated votes, amounted to an irregularity.

After the retabulation, West received a net increase of 535 votes over Murphy.

“On faith and belief, if this trend continues, for the remaining votes, the final outcome of the Congressional election could change,” Yound and Shapiro said.

David Drury, a Florida Division of Elections bureau chief, arrived in St. Lucie County on Wednesday to begin an audit of how the county’s canvassing board ran the election.

A spokesperson for Detzner said he expected Drury and two others from the state’s Bureau of Voting Systems Certification to remain in St. Lucie County through the weekend.

Last week, a Palm Beach County Circuit Court judge denied a request by West to impound voting machines and recount ballots.

West has less than one week left to contest the election.

– Alex Sanz

Attorneys for West argued that discrepancies in vote totals and reported equipment malfunctions warranted a recount to ensure the integrity of the race.

Attorneys for Supervisor of Elections Gertrude Walker and Patrick Murphy, the projected winner of the race, countered that Judge Dan Vaughn would have invited error and chaos if he had sided with West.

Vaughn said the elements for a temporary injunction had not been met.

West, the Tea Party favorite who appeared to be headed for defeat, has refused to concede.

After a partial recount of ballots cast during the final three days of early voting in St. Lucie County, Murphy, a Democrat, led West by 1,907 votes or a margin of more than 0.5% — more than what would trigger an automatic recount.

“It stands to reason that if the remaining early votes were to be recounted, additional errors would be uncovered and the tabulation of votes revised accordingly,” Allen West for Congress said in a statement.

The campaign called the recount a “sham” and said all eight days of early voting in St. Lucie County should be have been recounted.

Late Thursday, West’s attorneys said they had discovered possible discrepancies in St. Lucie County after a review of early and absentee ballot information.

Nearly 1,000 votes may be in question, according to Tim Edson, Allen West for Congress campaign manager.

In a letter to Secretary of State Ken Detzner, attorneys said 110 early votes were cast in a precinct that didn’t have enough early voters to support the number of votes cast.

Four hundred eighty-eight people cast early votes in precinct 28, they said, but election returns showed 499 early votes were counted.

Attorneys also raised concerns about 121 voters they said had returned absentee ballots but did not appear to have been assigned precinct.

Earlier, volunteer attorneys for West had petitioned Detzner to conduct a preliminary investigation into the election and for a machine recount in three counties.

Attorneys Mark Young and Jeffrey Scott Shapiro said 809 votes disappeared when the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections retabulated the final three days of early votes on Sunday.

Young and Shapiro said the missing votes, which accounted for 3.2% of the retabulated votes, amounted to an irregularity.

After the retabulation, West received a net increase of 535 votes over Murphy.

“On faith and belief, if this trend continues, for the remaining votes, the final outcome of the Congressional election could change,” Yound and Shapiro said.

David Drury, a Florida Division of Elections bureau chief, arrived in St. Lucie County on Wednesday to begin an audit of how the county’s canvassing board ran the election.

A spokesperson for Detzner said he expected Drury and two others from the state’s Bureau of Voting Systems Certification to remain in St. Lucie County through the weekend.

Last week, a Palm Beach County Circuit Court judge denied a request by West to impound voting machines and recount ballots.

West has less than one week left to contest the election.

– Alex Sanz

This, on the same day a St. Lucie County judge hears a request from U.S. Rep. Allen West to recount all of the early votes cast in the race for the 18th Congressional district.

West, the Tea Party favorite who appeared to be headed for defeat after Democrat Patrick Murphy was projected to win the race, has refused to concede.

“We are within 249 votes of a mandatory recount,” West said this week. “All we are saying is do the right thing by the voters and do the full early vote recount because that is where the issue is.”

After a partial recount of ballots cast during the final three days of early voting in St. Lucie County, Murphy led West by about 1,900 votes or a margin of more than 0.5% — more than what would trigger an automatic recount.

“It stands to reason that if the remaining early votes were to be recounted, additional errors would be uncovered and the tabulation of votes revised accordingly,” Allen West for Congress said in a statement.

The campaign called the recount a “sham” and said all eight days of early voting in St. Lucie County should be have been recounted.

David Drury, a Florida Division of Elections bureau chief, arrived in St. Lucie County on Wednesday to begin an audit of how the county’s canvassing board ran the election.

A spokesperson for Secretary of State Ken Detzner said he expected Drury and two others from the state’s Bureau of Voting Systems Certification to remain in St. Lucie County through the weekend.

Last week, a Palm Beach County Circuit Court judge denied a request by West to impound voting machines and recount ballots.

Late Thursday, West’s attorneys said they had discovered possible discrepancies in St. Lucie County after a review of early and absentee ballot information.

Nearly 1,000 votes may be in question, according to Tim Edson, Allen West for Congress campaign manager.

In a letter to Detzner, attorneys said 110 early votes were cast in a precinct that didn’t have enough early voters to support the number of votes cast.

Four hundred eighty-eight people cast early votes in precinct 28, they said, but election returns showed 499 early votes were counted.

Attorneys also raised concerns about 121 voters they said had returned absentee ballots but did not appear to have been assigned precinct.

Earlier, volunteer attorneys for West had petitioned Detzner to conduct a preliminary investigation into the election and for a machine recount in three counties.

Attorneys Mark Young and Jeffrey Scott Shapiro said 809 votes disappeared when the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections retabulated the final three days of early votes on Sunday.

Young and Shapiro said the missing votes, which accounted for 3.2% of the retabulated votes, amounted to an irregularity.

After the retabulation, West received a net increase of 535 votes over Murphy.

“On faith and belief, if this trend continues, for the remaining votes, the final outcome of the Congressional election could change,” Yound and Shapiro said.

More than 330,000 votes were cast in the race.

– Alex Sanz

Nearly 1,000 votes may be in question, according to Tim Edson, Allen West for Congress campaign manager.

In a letter to Secretary of State Ken Detzner, attorneys said 110 early votes were cast in a precinct that didn’t have enough early voters to support the number of votes cast.

Four hundred eighty-eight people cast early votes in precinct 28, they said, but election returns showed 499 early votes were counted.

Attorneys also raised concerns about 121 voters they said had returned absentee ballots but did not appear to have been assigned precinct.

West has refused to concede the race for the 18th Congressional district despite trailing Patrick Murphy, his Democratic challenger, by approximately 1,900 votes — more than the .5% margin that would trigger an automatic recount.

Earlier, volunteer attorneys for West petitioned Detzner to conduct a preliminary investigation into the election and for a machine recount in three counties.

In a letter to Detzner, attorneys Mark Young and Jeffrey Scott Shapiro said 809 votes disappeared when the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections retabulated the final three days of early votes on Sunday.

Young and Shapiro said the missing votes, which accounted for 3.2% of the retabulated votes, amounted to an irregularity.

After the retabulation, West received a net increase of 535 votes over Murphy.

“On faith and belief, if this trend continues, for the remaining votes, the final outcome of the Congressional election could change,” Yound and Shapiro said.

More than 330,000 votes were cast in the race.

West said he was 249 votes away from an automatic recount.

On Friday, a St. Lucie County judge will hear a request from West’s attorneys to recount all of the early votes cast in St. Lucie County.

– Alex Sanz

In a letter to Detzner, attorneys Mark Young and Jeffrey Scott Shapiro said 809 votes disappeared when the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections retabulated the final three days of early votes on Sunday.

Young and Shapiro said the missing votes, which accounted for 3.2% of the retabulated votes, amounted to an irregularity.

After the retabulation, West received a net increase of 535 votes over the projected winner, Patrick Murphy.

“On faith and belief, if this trend continues, for the remaining votes, the final outcome of the Congressional election could change,” Yound and Shapiro said.

More than 330,000 votes were cast in the race.

West said he was 249 votes away from an automatic recount.

On Friday, a St. Lucie County judge will hear a request from West’s attorneys to recount all of the early votes cast in St. Lucie County.

– Alex Sanz