Following the success of Nevada’s Universal Equal Rights Amendment, we adopted similar language to help truly ensure legal equality—with no qualifiers.

2024 PROPOSED Robust ERA Language for SF37:

All persons shall be guaranteed equal rights under the laws of this state. The state shall not discriminate against any person in intent or effect on account

of race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, or sex, including but not limited to pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive freedom, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

Chief Authors

Senator Mary Kunesh & Representative Kaohly Her

Representative Kaohly Her

Minnesota HD64A

Chief Author of the 2023 state Equal Rights Amendment Bill in the Minnesota House

 Passing an Amendment

Minnesota’s Constitutional Amendment process is straightforward

A bill introducing the amendment must pass through the state legislature, then be ratified by a majority of voters in a statewide election. 

1. Introducing a Bill
   Members of both chambers of the legislature (Minnesota House and Minnesota Senate) draft and introduce a bill.
2. Legislative Committee Review
   Each chamber has its relevant committees review the bill. Committees debate the content of the bill and recommend changes or amendments to the bill’s language.
3. Floor Vote
   If a bill passes in all required committees, it goes to all members of the chamber for debate and a floor vote. This process can occur simultaneously in both chambers. It is not necessary to move through one chamber before the other.
4. Passing the Bill
   A bill passes the legislature when a simple majority of each chamber votes in favor of it in a floor vote. If the version of the bill in each chamber is not exactly the same due to changes made in committee, a conference committee made up of members of both chambers decides on the final language. It then returns to each chamber for another floor vote. A simple majority vote is still required to pass the final version of the bill in each chamber.
5. Ratification by Statewide Ballot Measure
   Once the bill successfully passes both chambers of the legislature, it’s up to the general population of Minnesota to ratify the amendment.  During the next statewide general election, voters cast a Yes or No vote in a ratification ballot measure. The challenge here is that depending upon the number of voters who vote in the election, if a voter does not mark Yes or No on the question posed, it is counted as a No vote.
   Therefore, it behooves us to launch a statewide ballot initiative campaign to get Minnesotans on board by 2024 to vote Yes for the Minnesota state ERA.
6. Amending the Constitution
   If a majority of voters vote Yes to ratify the amendment, it takes effect immediately