He said Ransone’s remarks were “mostly done with respect but I think this could have gotten more out of control.”

“There’s a lot of energy in this room.”

And he said he thinks Republicans will allow the full House Privileges and Elections Committee to vote on the ERA resolutions this week.

“With this type of attention that it’s getting, I think there’s an expectation that it be brought before the full committee Friday morning,” Sickles said.

Later in the day, Ransone choked up on the House floor as she gave a speech recounting what she called “the most disappointing and discouraging event” she’s ever experienced at the General Assembly. She said that as she tried to speak a message of female empowerment to girls in the committee room, she saw pro-ERA mothers cover the girls’ ears, as if “that message delivered from a Republican woman simply wasn’t worth hearing.”

Ransone, who took office in 2012 and is one of five women in the 51-member GOP caucus, received a standing ovation from her Republican colleagues. Several Democrats walked over to speak to Ransone after the speech and seemed to be consoling her. Ransone left the House chamber escorted by security personnel, but she said she was unable to talk about it.