Supporters of the ERA say the effort to get the General Assembly to pass the constitutional amendment are down but not out.
The Equal Rights Amendment passed the Senate. But it never got out of a House subcommittee. That means it’s a dead letter, unless Democratic Delegate Hala Ayala is successful in changing the rules to bring it directly to the House floor.
“I know there are unprecedented measures but these are unprecedented times,” Ayala said.
Delegate Brenda Pogge, a Republican, says the ERA needs to go through the same process as everything else. “I’m opposed to the ERA itself as written," Pogge said. "And I’m also opposed to bypassing the process.”
Katie Hornung is one of the many supporters of the ERA who have been greeting lawmakers on their way to the chamber every day of the session. She’s hopeful the rule change would work but she’s also skeptical.
“Given the way that the Republicans are ruling their chamber like tyrants probably not,” Hornung said.
Virginia would be the 38th and final state to ratify the ERA, potentially putting it over the top to become the next amendment to the Constitution if Congress takes action to remove the deadline or if the courts declare the deadline doesn’t apply.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
