Virginia Passes Historic 38th Vote for Equal Rights Amendment

Virginia passed the Equal Rights Amendment yesterday, officially becoming the 38th state to approve the historic resolution. The final vote was 28-12 in the senate, with 59-41 house delegates voting in favor of ratification. Democrats, who gained control of both Virginia’s house and senate for the first time since 1994, were the ones who led the charge on the issue. The vote is historic because the U.S. requires 38 states ratify an amendment before it can be added to the constitution. However, the Equal Rights Amendment was originally presented to the states by congress in 1972 with a deadline of 1979. And by the extension deadline of 1985 only 35 states had managed to ratify it. Because the issue has laid dormant for so long, it will take more than 38 states to pass the amendment before it can officially be added.