Christine Jordan Sexton
A quartet of Democratic lawmakers on Thursday held a press conference to discuss issues they say will help women in the workforce.
However, they Democrats are having a hard time getting those “equality” bills heard.
Rep. Janet Cruz has filed an equal pay for equal work bill for five years. Dubbed the Helen Gordon Davis Fair Pay Protection Act after a long-serving Tampa senator, Cruz said she has been unable to get HB 25 heard in one committee this year.
“This is 2015. It is time to end this ridiculous disparity,” Cruz said, adding that women make up more than half of the workforce, but never will be able to understand the full power of the economy without access to an equal wage.
Nationally, women make 82 percent of men’s weekly earnings, Cruz said, citing statistics provided by the Women’s Bureau, which complies data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Florida women do slightly better earning 83.2 percent of men’s weekly earning.
“Why is this very important and very simple bill, equal pay for equal work, why has this bill not even been (placed on an agenda) in one committee?” Cruz said.
Another bill that the Democrats have been unable to persuade the Republican majority to place on a committee is HCR 8001, a resolution to have Florida ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. It has been filed annually by Rep. Lori Berman for the past five years.
While two of the bills have been thwarted to date one measure, HB 625, is moving through the process. The bill would amend the Florida Civil Rights Act to expressly prohibit discrimination because of pregnancy and codifies into law a Florida Supreme Court ruling. It was filed by Rep. John Cortes and was unanimously approved by the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
The companion bill, SB 982, has been approved by one committee and has been referred to two others.
“I’m happy to see good policy done and I don’t are about pride of ownership as much as making progress on this issue,” said Berman, who is prime co-sponsor of the bill.
