Final answer:
The paraphrased statement indicating that state labor laws applying uniquely to women would become ineffective unless amended to include men correctly summarizes Shirley Chisholm's statement on the Equal Rights Amendment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that best paraphrases the excerpt “State labor laws applying only to women, such as those limiting hours of work and weights to be lifted, would become inoperative unless the legislature amended them to apply to men” is: State labor laws that apply only to women would become inoperative unless they were legally amended to also apply to men.
During the movement for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), there was significant debate over the impact it would have on existing labor laws that were designed to protect women. These laws included regulations on work hours and physical labor specifically for women. The fear was that the ERA could invalidate these protections unless the laws were amended to be gender-neutral. Activists like Phyllis Schlafly argued that this could potentially eliminate preferential treatments meant to help women in specific situations, such as in child custody or the right to benefits from welfare programs.