In May, Illinois became the 37th state to sign off on the federal Equal Rights Amendment, leaving the decades-long effort to guarantee men and women equal stature in the U.S. Constitution just one state shy of ratification. Now advocates are looking to Virginia as the most likely candidate to tip the effort over the edge. She cited increased momentum following Illinois’ vote, a Republican chief patron for the legislation in the Virginia state Senate and efforts to address objections raised by opponents in years past. This year, advocates are also encouraging Republican supporters to play a more prominent role in the debate. I’ve already had people from around the country calling me asking what needs to happen to get Virginia over the line.