Jagger wants to get satisfaction from Illinois reps on Equal Rights Amendment

Mick Jagger can hear Illinois state representatives knocking on the door of passing the Equal Rights Amendment.

The rock ‘n’ roll superstar tried to shine a light on it earlier this week on social media.

“Please vote yes on the Equal Rights Amendment,” Mick wrote in a short note shared by his daughter Elizabeth Jagger in an Instagram post. “I have three daughters who are US citizens and they should all deserve equal rights under the Constitution of the United States.”

Elizabeth, the singer’s third-eldest daughter, is a model, actress and activist who has traveled the country pushing for state legislatures to pass the amendment to codify equal rights for women into the U.S. Constitution. She stopped by Springfield last week to attend a rally in support of the Illinois bill, according to Rep. Lou Lang, the House sponsor of the amendment.

“She asked her father to send a letter and he did,” the Skokie Democrat said. Lang saw a draft of the letter but said he wasn’t sure if it had been distributed directly to members yet.

“On this issue, she’s very engaged,” he said.

Supporters are hoping to avert what would feel like the 19th nervous breakdown of the bill, which was resurrected by Democrats last month more than three decades after Illinois failed to ratify the amendment by a Congressional deadline. It passed the House Human Services committee Wednesday on a party-line 7-5 vote, and it faces an uncertain future before the full House.

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, said that with a boost from the superstar, this could be the last time lawmakers have to settle the issue.

“We’ve got to get to 71 votes, and if Mick gets us to 71, I’ll be an even bigger fan,” she said.

Lang — admittedly “more of a Sinatra fan” — said Jagger’s letter “adds some flavor” to the Illinois ERA effort, but he doubted it would draw much sympathy for the devil.

“Those who can’t decide are probably not going to determine their ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote on this,” he said. “The important thing is people are watching Illinois and that what we do in the next couple of weeks on this issue could have a tremendous impact on the U.S. Constitution.”

Lang said he hopes to secure enough votes to pass the bill by the end of May.

The Rolling Stones are in the middle of a European tour, so there probably won’t be any more Jagger sightings in Illinois by then — but the sponsors have until next January to bring the bill to the House floor.

“If Mick wants to come to Springfield, I’d happy to walk him around the Capitol,” Cassidy said. “There are some people who could use some convincing.”