Virginia General Assembly passes resolutions ratifying ERA

Both chambers are controlled by Democrats, who first passed it in the state's House of Delegates by a 59-41 vote before the state Senate approved its companion resolution, 28-12.

The resolutions need to be formally approved by each chamber before Virginia officially becomes the 38th state to ratify the amendment, though the effort is already facing legal challenges.

ERA advocates say the amendment is necessary to ban discrimination on the basis of sex and guarantee equality for women under the Constitution, but opponents argue it will pave the way for greater abortion access and say equal-rights protections for women have already been enshrined at the federal and state levels.

This story is breaking and will be updated.