A last-minute procedural ploy by Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington, means the bill could be called up for a re-vote before the end of the legislative session on June 30.
But the 11–9 vote dealt a serious setback to women's rights in the state, supporters of the measure said. As a constitutional amendment, the legislation needed two-thirds of the Senate or 14 yes votes to pass.
The defeat marked at least the fourth time an ERA bill failed to win passage in the last three decades.
