Virginia Senators join colleagues in efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) — U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) are taking steps to help ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
Both Kaine and Warner joined others in introducing a bicameral and bipartisan resolution to remove the ratification deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
The introduction of this resolution follows the 2020 passage of an amendment by the Virginia General Assembly, which made Virginia the 38th and final state needed to ratify the ERA.
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“In 2020, Virginia carried this important issue across the finish line by becoming the final state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. It’s time to remove this trivial deadline, recognize the will of the states, and ensure that women’s equality is fully and expressly recognized in our Constitution,” said Warner.
“In 2020, Virginia took action to enshrine equality for women into the Constitution by becoming the 38th and final state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment,” said Kaine. “Now, it’s time for Congress to act to remove the arbitrary time limit for ratification and finally guarantee women equal protection under the Constitution.”
The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced 100 years ago to codify gender equality. Since 1923, the constitutional amendment was introduced in every session of Congress until it passed through both the House and Senate in 1972.
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Congress then placed a seven-year deadline on the ratification process before extending the deadline to 1982. During this period of time, only 35 states ratified the ERA, failing to meet the 38-state threshold before the arbitrary deadline.
With recent ratifications by Nevada in 2017, Illinois in 2018, and Virginia in 2020, all that's left is a resolution from Congress to remove the deadline, recognize the recent ratifications, and certify the ERA as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The ERA states, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex."
The Senators said this move would affirm women’s equality and create an explicit prohibition against sex discrimination in the Constitution.
