Equal pay gains traction in #MOLeg, but not nearly enough

This past legislative session, Representative Stephen Webber (D-Columbia) sponsored a bill calling for “best practice guidelines in gender pay equality for state and local government and private businesses." The bill gained widespread bipartisan support with twenty-two co-sponsors, eight of which were Republican. Its passage through the Workforce Standards and Development Committee marked the first time a bill such as this has passed through committee.

But don’t get too excited... this is still the Missouri Legislature we’re talking about.

Movement on the bill ceased after this. And Representative Bill Lant (R-Pineville) distributed a bush-league amendment that would have stripped the bill of all its teeth:

“Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to create a cause of action on behalf of any employee, and no employer shall be required to adopt or implement the best-practice guidelines."

While certain Republicans are busy ignoring and/or gutting common-sense bills and voting against our economic interest, Missouri women are still living with incomes that are only 80% of those of their male counterparts.

Pay equality is an issue that needs to be addressed. We're talking about it, and that's a great first step. But it is past time for Republican leadership to acknowledge the problem with paying women less for the same work and act to solve it.