SPRINGFIELD – The Equal Rights Amendment won its biggest victory in Illinois since its 1970s' beginnings when a surprising number of Republican senators abandoned the party's traditional opposition to an amendment that would dramatically change public policy in the name of Equal Rights.
The new support for the ERA passed the Illinois Senate – where the Democrats already have a super-majority – with a 43 to 12 vote. The vote will now go to the Illinois House to be listed among those states that support ratifying the ERA.
Republicans Althoff, Barickman, Connelly, McConnaughay, Nybo, Rezin and Rooney switched sides on the ERA to join the Democrat majority:
