One More To Go: Illinois Ratifies Equal Rights Amendment
The passage comes 36 years after the ratification deadline set by Congress. Some say the votes are merely symbolic — but the ERA's backers disagree.
Illinois lawmakers have voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, affirming women's rights under the U.S. Constitution and putting the legislation just one state away from potentially taking effect. The passage comes 36 years after the original deadline for ratification set by Congress.
Opponents of the amendment said that voting on it now was merely a symbolic gesture; some also said the protections it outlined in 1972 already apply to women today. But supporters said it's important —
