Plain English Summary
This bill would have North Carolina officially ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution, which states that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied on account of sex. The bill argues that the ERA became the 28th Amendment in 2020 when Virginia became the 38th state to ratify it, meeting the three-fourths requirement, and that North Carolina's ratification would be a formal recognition of this constitutional change.
Arguments in Favor
Supporters argue that the ERA is already constitutionally valid as of January 2020 when Virginia's ratification reached the three-fourths threshold, and North Carolina should formally acknowledge this milestone. They contend that public opinion strongly favors the amendment (polls showing 71.5% support in North Carolina), that it aligns with the state's historical role in protecting individual rights, and that it provides important constitutional protection against sex discrimination—protections notably absent from North Carolina's own state constitution.
Arguments Against
Opponents likely argue about the disputed timeline and legal status of the ERA, noting that Congress included a seven-year deadline in the ratification process and that the federal government has not officially certified the amendment as ratified. They may also raise concerns about what specific legal changes or litigation the ERA could trigger, or question whether further federal constitutional amendments are necessary given existing civil rights protections under federal law and the 14th Amendment.
AI-generated analysis based on bill text. Always verify with official sources at ncleg.gov. This is not legal or political advice.
Sponsors
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 106
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 36
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 115
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 50
Cosponsors (45)
Representative · District 102
Representative · District 61
Representative · District 48
Representative · District 54
Representative · District 116
Representative · District 60
Representative · District 23
Representative · District 49
Representative · District 88
Representative · District 58
Representative · District 18
Representative · District 30
Representative · District 11
Representative · District 31
Representative · District 104
Representative · District 101
Representative · District 99
Representative · District 29
Representative · District 66
Representative · District 72
Representative · District 92
Representative · District 38
Representative · District 39
Representative · District 56
Representative · District 8
Representative · District 71
Representative · District 103
Representative · District 41
Representative · District 45
Representative · District 2
Representative · District 21
Representative · District 34
Representative · District 44
Representative · District 114
Representative · District 57
Representative · District 32
Representative · District 100
Representative · District 42
Representative · District 98
Representative · District 33
Representative · District 112
Representative · District 107
Representative · District 27
Representative · District 24
Representative · District 40