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Virginia Election Results and The ERA

​1. What changed about Virginia's government in last week's elections?
The Democrats now control the House and Senate in Virginia's state legislature. They want to become the last state needed to ratify the ERA.
2. What would the Equal Rights Amendment proposed in 1972 do?
It would give equal rights to everyone regardless of sex. Congress can pass legislation to enforce the legislation, and it would take effect two years after ratification.
3. How many states ratified the amendment when it was originally proposed?  What states have ratified it recently?
22 states ratified within first year, and 35 states initially ratified it during the first attempt to pass the ERA. 2 other states, Nevada and Illinois, ratified it in 2017 and 2018, respectively. 
4. According to the constitution, why is it necessary to have a 38th state ratify the amendment?
3/4 majority has to be reached in the 50 state legislatures to ratify an amendment, so that is why the 38th state is crucial to crossing that 3/4s boundary.
5. What stipulation for its ratification did Congress add to the proposal in the 1970s?
Congress gave the states until 1979 to ratify the amendment, but had to extend it to 1982, but it still was not ratified.
6. How did the Virginia legislature vote on ratification of the ERA last year? 
The Senate Panel of Virginia voted against the ERA 9 to 5, which prevented its ratification when the Republicans had legislative control of Virginia.
7. How can Congress change the ratification deadline from 1982 to now?
They can hold a majority vote that the deadline is later, since a vote was all that was needed to change the initial deadline to 1982.
8. How does the 27th Amendment provide an example that this amendment could be ratified now?
The amendment was proposed in 1789, numerous decades from today. In 1982, the amendment was brought back to be ratified as a the 27th amendment, giving hope that the ERA could follow suit.

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