Virginia Becomes 38th State to<br />Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment On Jan. 15, the Virginia House and Senate passed<br />the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) with support<br />from both Democrats and Republicans. Senator Dick Saslaw,<br />via ‘The Hill’ However, this historic win<br />may only be a symbolic one. The ERA was initially passed by Congress in 1972<br />before being sent to the states for ratification. The amendment fell three states short of<br />the required 38 when its deadline rolled around in 1982. Now, Congress must decide whether the<br />late ratification will be recognized, allowing<br />the ERA to be added to the Constitution. Democrats in Congress are currently<br />working to remove the deadline. Supporters of the amendment <br />in Massachusetts also filed a federal lawsuit in an<br />attempt to clear a legal path for its adoption.
