DOVER, Del. (AP) - A proposed amendment to Delaware's constitution guaranteeing equal rights based on sex has failed in the state Senate.
The legislation passed the House in March but failed to gain the necessary two-thirds majority in the Senate on Wednesday.
The amendment states that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex.
Critics have suggested that the proposal could have hidden motives, such as guaranteeing taxpayer funding for abortions or granting special rights to transgender people.
Before voting on the measure, the Democrat-led Senate rejected three Republican amendments to the bill, including one stating that the proposed constitutional amendment would not grant or secure any right relating to abortion.
Had the amendment passed, it still would have required approval in the next General Assembly.
