BATON ROUGE, La. (WGNO) – Gov. John Bel Edwards blasted the House Labor Committee today after it killed a bill that would have established equal pay for women in the state.
The bill, which would have set up protocol for women to follow when they believed they weren’t being paid fairly because of their gender, was part of Edwards’ legislative package for the current session.
It was opposed by business and labor groups, including the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.
Edwards said that Louisiana women earn an average of 65 cents on the dollar compared to men, and black women make about 49 cents for every dollar that their male counterparts make.
“Very few issues have the support of 90 percent of Louisiana, but the support for legislation granting equal pay for equal work crosses the political spectrum,” Edwards said. “The pay gap in Louisiana is the worst in the entire country, and we can do better, not just for my wife and daughters, but for women all across the state. This disparity prevents our wives, daughters, sisters, and other women from earning equal pay for equal work, and that directly impacts children and families who many in the legislative body espouse they value.”
The state Senate approved the measure April 12 with a 28-10 vote.
