Final answer:
As of 2020, 38 states have ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, meeting the required three-fourths threshold. However, due to the passing of the original deadline, there are ongoing legal debates concerning its validity.
Thus, the correct option is D.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking how many states ratified the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The correct option from the choices provided is nearly three-fourths. Initially, 35 states ratified the ERA, with the required number for it to become law being 38, which is three-fourths of the states.
Opposition in several states, particularly in the South and the West, as well as rescissions, prevented the ERA from achieving full ratification by the 1982 deadline. Despite this, the passage of the ERA by Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia brought the total to 38 by 2020, leading to legal debates over whether the ratifications were valid given the expired deadline. Thus, the current total of states that have ratified the ERA is 38.
Therefore, the correct option is D. nearly three-fourths