South Dakota one of five GOP-led states seeking to block Equal Rights Amendment

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Five Republican-led states are seeking to block an effort by three Democratic-led states to see the Equal Rights Amendment adopted into the U.S. Constitution. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery said the five GOP-led states rescinded their approvals of the ERA amendment before a congressionally mandated ratification deadline more than 40 years ago. The Democratic-led state attorneys general argue that the 1982 deadline set by Congress was non-binding.  The five states _ Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Nebraska and South Dakota _ filed a motion on Thursday to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Virginia, Nevada and Illinois.