Lawmakers in Virginia are moving forward with an old idea: the Equal Rights Amendment.
It’s been more than 40 years since lawmakers here at the Capitol started debating the Equal Rights Amendment. But this year the idea has a new sense of momentum. The Virginia state Senate approved a resolution for ratification on a 26 to 14 vote.
Senator Jennifer Boysko is a Democrat from Herndon who says the resolution will have a much more difficult time in the House of Delegates.
“It did last year, I served on the Privileges and Elections Committee. And the chairman would not give it a hearing. I’m hopeful that he will have a different sensibility this year.”
Even if it gets through the House committee process, and even if it gets through the House of Delegates, Republican State Senator Dick Black of Leesburg says the ERA will never come to pass – at least in its current form.
“Regardless, even if Virginia passes it, the Supreme Court has ruled that it is dead. And I do not anticipate that they will resurrect it. I think that if they want to do something with it they’re going to have to start from scratch.”
Legal minds are divided on that question, though. And many ERA supporters are hoping Virginia will be the 38th and final state to ratify it – putting it over the top to become the next amendment to the Constitution.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
