Letter from Legislative Democratic Caucus:
On a day when we gathered on the South steps of our Capitol to explain again why requiring equal pay for equal work is the right thing to do, at least six bills to make that idea law died in committee*.
Even a letter from the icon of equal pay for women, Mrs. Lillie Ledbetter, to legislative leadership did nothing to move the bills forward.
With the weak excuse that federal law already requires pay equity, Mississippi committee chairs in both the Senate and the House chose to keep Mississippi as one of two states that don’t have such a law on the books.
We appreciate those who once again worked to draw attention to the obvious – Mississippi women deserve to make the same pay as men who do the same jobs. This effort was bipartisan, it was enthusiastic, and it was right.
We will be back.
Those bills that died in Committee include:
HB 717
HB 864
HB 1256
HB 1257
HB 1301
SB 2511
Also dead: SC536 would have declared April 10, 2018, as “Equal Pay Day” in Mississippi. This date symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year.
About the Author(s)
Sarah Ulmer
Sarah is a Mississippi native, born and raised in Madison. She is a graduate of Mississippi State University, where she studied Communications, with an emphasis in Broadcasting and Journalism. Sarah’s experience spans multiple mediums, including extensive videography with both at home and overseas, broadcasting daily news, and hosting a live radio show. In 2017, Sarah became a member of the Capitol Press Corp in Mississippi and has faithfully covered the decisions being made by leaders on some of the most important issues facing our state. Email Sarah: sarah@magnoliatribune.com
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