Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment fails in acrimonious end to legislative session

By STEVE KARNOWSKI
Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota lawmakers have failed to pass a state Equal Rights Amendment that would have enshrined protections for abortion and LGBTQ+ rights in the state Constitution. It’s an acrimonious end to the 2024 legislative session. The Minnesota ERA was the one of the biggest casualties. Partisan rancor was fueled by the continued participation of a Democratic senator who was arrested on a burglary charge. So was a bill to legalize sports betting. One of the few legislative successes was a hard-fought compromise to keep the ride-sharing companies Lyft and Uber from pulling out of Minnesota.