Minnesota lawmakers recently failed to pass a state Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) that would have provided protections for abortion and LGBTQ+ rights in the state Constitution, leading to a contentious end to the 2024 legislative session. The ERA faced strong opposition from anti-abortion and conservative religious groups, as well as Republicans who withheld their support for other critical legislation unless Democrats dropped the ERA. Despite attempts to compromise, the ERA did not garner enough support before the session deadline.
The ERA would have prohibited discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, or sex, including gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. However, the language of the amendment did not mention abortion, which drew criticism from opponents. The House managed to pass the amendment after extensive debate, but the Senate did not have enough time to bring it to a vote before the session ended. Democratic leaders defended their decision to combine multiple bills into one package to save time, despite objections from Republicans who felt silenced.
Governor Tim Walz announced that there will not be a special session to revisit the ERA or other failed legislation from the session. The possibility of reintroducing the ERA in the future remains, depending on the outcome of the November election. While the ERA did not pass, the session did see progress on other important issues, including measures to increase penalties for straw purchases of firearms, ban binary triggers, and protect voting rights. Additionally, a compromise was reached between ride-sharing companies and the state over minimum pay rates for drivers.
Other notable bills signed into law include the Minnesota Voting Rights Act, which aims to address gaps in federal voting rights laws and ensure equitable voting access, as well as a ban on book bans in public and school libraries. The Taylor Swift bill, which mandates transparency in ticket sales for live events, was also passed. Despite the contentious end to the legislative session, lawmakers managed to address several key issues, signaling progress on important matters for the state of Minnesota.
Overall, the session saw a mix of successes and failures, with the defeat of the ERA standing out as a significant setback for advocates of abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. The debate and opposition surrounding the amendment highlighted the deep partisan divide in the state legislature, which impacted the passage of other critical legislation. Despite the challenges faced, Democratic leaders remain optimistic about the progress made on various fronts and the potential for future opportunities to revisit important issues in the coming years.
