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Equal pay

Colorado lawmakers should take a bipartisan stand for basic fairness

Women in Colorado earn 80 cents for every dollar their male counterparts gross. That inequity is neither justifiable nor acceptable – nor should it be a partisan issue. The wage gap affects women across party lines, and rather than wait until 2057 – projected as the year when women’s earnings will finally meet those of men – state and federal policy should enact policies that expedite the embarrassingly slow progress. A suite of bills will soon be introduced in the Colorado House of Representatives, which Democrats control, aiming to close the gender pay gap. In order for the measures to advance, bipartisan buy-in is essential.

It is thus far lacking, though. The equal-pay package soon to be introduced in the Legislature is a wholly Democratic effort thus far, and with divided – and divisive – control between the House and Senate, is unlikely to make much progress without the measures’ sponsors engaging support from Republicans. Given that women hold 42 percent of the seats in the Colorado Legislature, the issue should transcend politics and focus on the matter at hand: equal pay for equal work. Women of all political parties should embrace the concept.

The proposed measures take relatively small steps toward the end goal of earnings-equivalency for men and women. The Pay Transparency Protection Act would extend to all workers protection from discrimination if they reveal their salary information to others. This is an essential starting point in any discussion over equal pay for equal work, regardless of the genders in question: When workers are paid differently for the same jobs, that is unfair, and sharing salary information is the first step in understanding any discrepancy. Employees should not be punished for discussing compensation.

The Equal Pay in State Contracts Act would require that businesses with more than 50 employees certify compliance with state and federal equal-pay laws when bidding for a state job. This would put the state’s money where its mouth is with respect to equal pay and help nudge the private sector toward ensuring parity among male and female employees. Finally, the Fair Pay from the Start Act would prohibit potential employers from asking job applicants about their salary histories. Doing so would break the cycle of underpaying women for their work – a well-documented practice in Colorado and nationwide – justified by previous employers’ history of doing so.

Each of these measures would eliminate some of the intrinsic and systemic means by which women remain underpaid in comparison to men doing the same work. None – or even all – would correct the problem wholly, but would make strong statements toward that ultimate end. All workers benefit from this equalization effort, which all Colorado’s lawmakers should embrace – especially the 42 women serving in the Legislature. The House of Representatives, where 30 women – 20 of whom are Democrats – serve, is the natural chamber to begin the conversation, but discussion must quickly expand to include their Republican colleagues as well as the state Senate. Doing so is essential to making progress on these needed measures of fairness, nondiscrimination and equity.

Equal pay should not be a political issue, but many Republicans have rejected legislating the concept and instead called on the marketplace to equalize pay across the sexes. That is a worthwhile plea, but it has gone unanswered for decades or longer, and the time has come to push the private sector along toward righting an egregious wrong. Republicans and Democrats should rally to the task.



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