Nevada Legislature: Measure to ratify Equal Rights Amendment appears dead

A Nevada measure to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment as part of the U.S. Constitution appears to be dead.

The Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee opted not to bring SJR16 up for a vote on Friday, which is the deadline for bills to pass from their first legislative committee.

The amendment states that the country and states cannot deny anyone equal rights because of their sex. Congress passed the measure in 1972 and sent it to states for ratification, but only 35 of the necessary 38 had ratified it by the deadline in 1982.

ERA opponents say the measure could lay the groundwork for expanding abortion rights.

The Legislature’s legal staff said it wouldn’t make sense to pass the measure now because the 1982 deadline hasn’t been extended.