Compare Bills

Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate2025-03-25

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language 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 based on sex. The bill asserts that the ERA already became the 28th Amendment when Virginia became the 38th state to ratify it in 2020, and North Carolina's ratification would affirm this status.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue that the ERA protects fundamental constitutional rights by guaranteeing equal treatment regardless of sex, addressing a gap in the North Carolina State Constitution which lacks explicit sex discrimination protections.
• •They point to polling data showing broad bipartisan public support (71.5% in a 2023 NC poll) and note North Carolina's historical role in demanding individual rights protections, making ratification consistent with the state's patriotic heritage of defending constitutional freedoms.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents raise concerns about the seven-year ratification deadline Congress imposed, arguing it should have legal effect and that the amendment may not have been validly ratified since Virginia's 2020 ratification came 48 years after proposal.
• •Critics also worry about potential unintended legal consequences of broad 'equality of rights under the law' language and question whether federal courts should decide whether the amendment is officially valid rather than state legislatures ratifying an already-settled matter.