ST. PAUL 鈥� Chants from the Minnesota Capitol鈥檚 rotunda and a crowd of green signs that read 鈥淓RA Yes!鈥� of the start of Minnesota鈥檚 legislative session Tuesday morning, Jan. 14.
About 150 people gathered at 10 a.m., ahead of the session鈥檚 start at noon, in support of the Equal Rights Amendment, a constitutional amendment that would be on Minnesotans鈥� ballots in 2026 if passed through the Legislature.
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The ERA would enshrine equal rights in the Minnesota Constitution, prohibiting discrimination based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, 鈥減regnancy outcomes鈥� and more. This year marks the 42nd year a version of an ERA has been introduced before the Minnesota Legislature. Across the country, 38 states have added versions of an equal rights amendment to their constitutions.
The bill passed the House last year with a 68-62 vote but never came before the Senate. This session, Rep. Leigh Finke, DFL-St.Paul, and Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, will introduce the bill to their respective chambers.
鈥淓RA advocates have been at the frontlines for decades, and it鈥檚 beyond time to deliver for the people of Minnesota,鈥� Finke said in a statement. 鈥淟aws can be repealed, changed or undermined by shifting political tides. A constitutional amendment, however, locks in protections for the long term.鈥�
While Minnesota already has similar equal rights protections in law, it doesn鈥檛 have them in its constitution. Last session, Republican opponents of the bill said it doesn鈥檛 include enough protections. The major sticking points for opponents include the 鈥減regnancy outcome鈥� clause and the exclusion of protection of fetuses, as well as the absence of 鈥渞eligion鈥� in the long list of protected identities.
Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, spoke at Tuesday鈥檚 rally about what he sees as threats from the incoming administration of President-Elect Donald Trump.
鈥淲e have the chance to explicitly help shield our state from these threats by enacting the Minnesota ERA,鈥� Champion said. 鈥淚 understand, too closely, how important it is for all of us that have rights and for all those rights to be protected.鈥�
The rally saw support from Minnesota-based groups like Gender Justice, the League of Women Voters, the Women鈥檚 Foundation of Minnesota, the Minnesota Council on Disability and more.
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鈥淎mid this fraught political moment, Minnesota has the chance to lead,鈥� Kunesh said. 鈥淲e can show the nation that Minnesota is committed to equality and dignity for all. The ERA is about who we are as a state 鈥� and about securing the future Minnesotans deserve.鈥�
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