(Reuters) - Illinois joined 36 U.S. states on Wednesday when it ratified an U.S. constitution Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) intended to ensure women are treated the same as men under state and federal laws, more than three decades after a deadline to approve it. While it’s unclear what will happen from here, as the ratification deadline has long passed, only one more state needs to approve the ERA to meet the three-fourths majority of state legislatures. Following its approval, the ERA went to the states, where it fell short of ratification after only 35 out of the required 38 states passed it by the June 1982 deadline. The ERA has found renewed interest and political life in the era of #MeToo and in 2017, Nevada became the 36th state to ratify before Illinois became the 37th state to vote in favor of the ERA.
The Illinois House of Representatives votes 72–45 to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.