Seth A. Richardson

srichardson@rgj.com

Nevada is on the cusp of being the first state since Indiana to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment more than three decades after the 1982 deadline imposed by Congress.

The Senate passed the resolution on March 1, the first day of women’s history month. On Monday, the Assembly joined them by a 28-14 party-line vote, with Democrats favoring. Assemblywoman Jill Tolles, R-Reno, was the lone Republican in favor.

The resolution still needs to go to the Senate for concurrence after a technical amendment was added, though that chamber already voted to ratify mostly on a party line vote as well. State Sen. Heidi Gansert, a Republican from Reno and Tolles' senator, was the lone Republican to vote for the ERA in that chamber.

The resolution does not need to go to Gov. Brian Sandoval’s desk, but the Republican governor said he was in favor of its passage.

The Equal Rights Amendment would solidify women’s rights in the U.S Constitution. Congress first passed the ERA in 1972 with a deadline of 1979. They extended that to 1982, but only 35 states voted to ratify it, three short of the requisite 38.

Indiana was the last state to pass the ERA, doing so in 1972. Several states have also voted to rescind their earlier ratification.

In recent years, the ERA has been a rallying cry from women advocates, particularly progressives, who argue its passage is overdue. State Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford, D-Las Vegas, laid it out as one of his priorities on the opening day of session.

The chamber on Monday was packed with women’s advocates, both in the gallery and on the floor, with supporters there for the Nevada Women’s Lobby annual grassroots day who cheered after the resolutions passage. The front lawn of the Legislature was also decorated with a colorful display of support.

“It’s a big day to see this happen,” said Marlene Lockard, a lobbyist with the Nevada Women’s Lobby. “A lot of us have waited a very long time.”

Detractors point to the deadline and say the issue is moot or that it could have unintended consequences like mandating abortion or forcing women to sign up for selective service.

Assemblywoman Robin Titus, R-Wellington, called the vote “political theatrics.”

“Hardly a week goes by that this Assembly isn’t casting some symbolic vote or another one on some piece of long-settled social legislation,” she said.

Tolles, the lone Republican to vote in favor, said she recognized the vote might be purely symbolic, but thought that symbolism was important, especially for women who’ve been working on the ERA for years or the younger generation as a sign of hope.

“I would argue that this chamber is full of symbolism,” she said. “On my left hand, I wear a ring that symbolizes my promise to love and respect and be faithful to one man for the rest of my life. We stand underneath a seal that reminds us that we are a battle born state and home means Nevada. We pledge allegiance to a flag every single day to celebrate the freedom that was so hard fought for.”

Whether the amendment can still be adopted by Congress is a matter of debate. The ERA missed its original deadline, but other amendments have taken far longer to ratify. The 27th Amendment took more than 200 years for ratification.

The Senate is expected to vote to concur with the Assembly on Wednesday – the 45th anniversary of Congress passing the ERA.

This post has been updated with the correct spelling of Nevada Women's Lobby lobbyist Marlene Lockard's name.

Seth A. Richardson covers politics for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Like him on Facebook here or follow him on Twitter at @SethARichardson.