The following is a press release from the Governor’s office:
Gov. Edwards Testifies in Support of Equal Pay Legislation
Today, Governor John Bel Edwards testified in the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee in support of the Louisiana Equal Pay Act, legislation by Senator J.P. Morrell that establishes in law that all employees, men and women, are entitled to equal pay for equal work whether with a government or private employer. A companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Helena Moreno, Kenny Cox and Marcus Hunter. The bills also seek to end pay secrecy policies which allow employees to be fired for talking about their wages.
“I am so appreciative of the men and women who took the bold step today of approving this important legislation,” said Gov. Edwards. “The time has come for Louisiana to step up to the plate and do what’s right for the women, men and children of our state. Eliminating the gender pay gap in Louisiana was a top priority during my campaign and it remains so today. We can’t simply talk about family values we must implement policies that value families, and I look forward to working with the legislature as this bill makes its way through the process.
Louisiana ranks last in the nation when it comes to what women earn on average compared to men for the same work. On average, Louisiana women are better educated than Louisiana men, but our state has the largest pay gap in the United States. For every dollar a man earns here, a woman earns 65 cents for the same job. The national average for women is 79 cents per dollar. The disparity is even greater for women of color. Every parish is affected by this issue.
- In 13 parishes, women earn less than 60 cents per $1.00 earned by men.
- In 37 parishes, women earn between 60-69 cents per $1.00 earned by men.
- In 14 parishes, women earn between 70-78 cents per $1.00 earned by men.
- There are zero parishes where women earn dollar-to- dollar equal pay to men.
- In Louisiana, African American women earn 48 cents and Hispanic women earn 53 cents per dollar compared to men.
“This issue impacts women of all races, educational backgrounds and occupations,” said Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Ava Dejoie. “We need to ensure that our daughters and sisters are treated the same as our sons and brothers.”
“This is not the first time that this legislation has been proposed, but now is the time for this legislation to receive final approval,” said Sen. J.P. Morrell. “Single mothers make up the majority of Louisiana families impoverished because of their low incomes. This cannot and should not continue. We have the power to change it and legislators have the opportunity this session to impact families in their districts in a very real and positive way.”
SB 254 passed out of committee by a vote of 5-2. The bill heads next to the Senate floor for debate.
Quick Facts:
- Women make up 51% of the population and almost half the workforce in Louisiana, but live at the second highest poverty rate in the United States.
- Louisiana women and their families have less financial security and rely more on government help from programs such as Medicaid, housing assistance, and SNAP benefits than women who live in other states.
- Good pay equity policies level the playing field for businesses that want to play fairly.