Equal Rights Amendment returns
February 2024
By Minnesota Public Radio
After more than a decade of unsuccessful attempts, supporters of a Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) see 2024 as a pivotal year. Lawmakers and advocacy groups are revising the proposed amendment to explicitly include rights related to pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, abortion, and gender-affirming care, though the final draft has not yet been agreed upon.
ERA Minnesota and allied civil rights and reproductive health organizations aim to present the amendment to voters as early as fall 2024. The amendment would constitutionally guarantee equal rights regardless of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry, or national origin.
While some Republicans initially supported the ERA, GOP leaders warn that including broader provisions could make the amendment partisan. Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson criticized the approach as divisive, arguing that "stitching every issue into one Frankenstein ballot question" undermines consensus and risks politicizing the state constitution.
Supporters argue the revised language reflects Minnesotans' values of freedom, reproductive rights, and equal protection under the law.