RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Three Democratic state attorneys general are suing a U.S. government official, seeking to force him to recognize Virginia’s vote this week to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and certify the measure as part of the Constitution.

The lawsuit filed Thursday against the archivist of the United States comes after the National Archives and Records Administration said this week that the archivist would “take no action to certify the adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment.”

Supporters say the proposed amendment would guarantee women equal rights under the law.

The attorneys general argue U.S. laws do not give the archivist the power to decide whether to certify an amendment.

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