As DFLers blast women’s pay repeal, GOP introduces Senate version
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 at 8:31 am
- 21 Comments
Members of the DFL House caucus chastised Republicans Tuesday for introducing legislation in the House that would eliminate the 1984 Pay Equity Act. At a press conference, Democrats said the law is still necessary to ensure women are paid the same as men in local government units. But just as they were rallying against the bill, Republican Sen. Mike Jungbauer introduced a bill — the third GOP bill on the issue — to repeal the law in the Senate.
Rep. Erin Murphy of St. Paul said that during tough economic times, it doesn’t make sense to eliminate protections for women.
“Republican leaders want to make it much harder for working moms and women, harder for them to earn an equal salary,” she said. “We are here to demand that Republicans stop trying to take steps backward.”
Rep. Kate Knuth
Rep. Kate Knuth of New Brighton echoed Murphy. “Women for generations have fought for equality in this country and around the world, and I think all the women you see standing here are the results of this equality,” she said. “We are making progress in equality but despite the progress, women still only earn about 77 cents on the dollar of what men make. They are still not earning an equal amount to men.”
She added, “It doesn’t really make any sense to me that the Republicans would repeal legal protections that help us make this progress.”
The bill, HF7/159, contains a series of repeals of mandates on local governments including a repeal of the Pay Equity Act. It has 22 sponsors in the House and Senate, all of whom are Republicans.
Rep. Lyndon Carlson of Crystal was serving in the House when the bill was passed in 1984. He voted for that bill and authored another one that added state employees to the Pay Equity Act. “I have a long history of being an advocate for equity in pay for our women employees in the state of Minnesota and local units of government,” he said.
He added, “For those who wonder if this is still needed, just last year as a result of a review there was an adjustment of $1.59. The point is: it’s still needed. It’s still actively being utilized to bring about pay equity.”
Rep. Terry Morrow of St. Peter said the act need to stay in place for the future women of Minnesota, including his teenage daughters who are just entering the workforce.
“I am deeply disturbed that HF7 sends a threatening message about Minnesota’s commitment to equal pay,” he said. “Bills send messages, and as a dad I reject the misguided message that equal pay is no longer a right in Minnesota.”
He added, “My daughters and my wife are equal contributors and they deserve equal pay for equal work.”
As DFLers were speaking out against the bill, Jungbauer, an East Bethel Republican, announced a third bill to repeal the Pay Equity Act. SF 282 will be introduced in the Senate on Wednesday morning.
Rep. Kim Norton of Rochester told reporters at the press conference, “The only reason to remove this mandate when we have a deficit like this is to cut the pay of women and save money.”
Follow Andy Birkey on Twitter21 Comments
Comment posted February 9, 2011 @ 9:07 am
What a sickening message-lets go back to mid-century for the sake of corporation’s bottom line. Women need to work, have children, be treated like 2nd class citizens according to the Republicans. Now there’s some family values!
Comment posted February 9, 2011 @ 9:30 am
Rep. Kim Norton of Rochester told reporters at the press conference, “The only reason to remove this mandate when we have a deficit like this is to cut the pay of women and save money.”
Right on sister!
Comment posted February 9, 2011 @ 9:44 am
Now we know.
Republicans think gays AND women should be treated as second class. Welcome to the 21st century.
Comment posted February 9, 2011 @ 9:53 am
A small step forward for Republicans and A great leap backwards for Womankind!! Good Job Republicans lets just keep those little ‘Hussies’ Barefoot, Pregnant and in the kitchen.. Heaven forbid your a Black woman or an Indian woman.. You might as well put your College Degree into a paper shredder..
Pingback posted February 9, 2011 @ 10:42 am
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Comment posted February 9, 2011 @ 11:53 am
Republicans have actualy kept their word on keeping this session all about jobs. What they actually meant was to eliminate jobs and cut workers pay!! How much more stupid can the republicans in this country become?
Andy, how many female republicans are on board supporting these bills? Can you get any interviews or statements from them?
Comment posted February 9, 2011 @ 1:46 pm
We learned from Pawlenty that Republicans hate the poor, the sick, the disabled, and the elderly. Now we’re learning that they also hate Gays, minorities, and women.
So, I guess it is healthy, wealthy, white males who keep voting for them.
Will Senator Amy Koch and her women colleagues accept lower salaries as part of this bill?
Comment posted February 9, 2011 @ 4:27 pm
“So, I guess it is healthy, wealthy, white males who keep voting for them.”
Well whoever is voting for them they’re now in the majority. heh
By the way, you can show your true feminist credentials by supporting Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin. I know I am.
Comment posted February 9, 2011 @ 6:31 pm
Good point, Dennis!
Bachmann wants to repeal the President and the Senate.
Good, well thought-out Constitutional thinking skills.
Although you may be confusing ‘feminist’ with some other word…
Comment posted February 9, 2011 @ 8:00 pm
The sad thing is people like Koch are so brainwashed that she will support them even though it is a direct shot at her
Comment posted February 9, 2011 @ 8:35 pm
Bachmann/Palin are to the feminist movement what Alan Keyes was to the civil rights movement.
Comment posted February 10, 2011 @ 8:29 am
Yeah, because if you’re not a liberal, you’re really not a woman or a black person.
Comment posted February 10, 2011 @ 10:41 am
Dennis, feminism is a social movement in favor of women’s civil rights, not a club you get to join because you have matching genitalia. Palin and Bachmann do not share feminism’s goals, which include opportunity for all women, not merely those who are born into privilege.
Comment posted February 10, 2011 @ 11:08 am
Right on Shannon! I can think of many women who are not feminists (Bachmann and Palin included) and many men who are (my husband and sons included). You don’t get to just say you’re a feminist because you’re a woman. You have to actually believe that women are entitled to the same rights as men. Palin and Bachmann seem to want to enjoy the benefits of feminism while subscribing to the Evangelical Christian view that men are heads of the household and get to make all the important decisions in their infinite wisdom,
Comment posted February 10, 2011 @ 3:09 pm
lol
Wouldn’t it be a feminist goal to have women in positions of political power? Wouldn’t it be the ultimate feminist achievement to have a woman president? Especially when that woman is a strong, self-reliant, accomplished woman like Palin?
I’ve always been a feminist. I’m glad I have strong, accomplished women to support ike Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin .. both wives, mothers, career women, and political leaders.
Comment posted February 11, 2011 @ 9:14 am
Again, I repeat: they may be political leaders and career women, but they are not feminists. I admire Palin and Bachmann’s career accomplishments, but these two success stories aren’t our goals–allowing women EVERYWHERE to live lives of opportunity and dignity are the goals. That won’t happen under these women’s economic policies, which only entrench poverty and discrimination against poor women and women of color.
Comment posted February 11, 2011 @ 12:50 pm
It shouldn’t be the objective of any alleged feminist, whose mission is supposedly to empower women, to consider poor women and women of color as kept chattel owned by and dependant upon, the state as members of a protected class of weaklings.
Comment posted February 12, 2011 @ 10:54 am
Dennis,
Let me water it down a bit for your stupid fat head……..Feminist believe equal rights for women, the article refers to the leadership wanting to take that away from women, therefore, this would be an anti feminist bill.
I know you are stupid but hoepfully you helps you understand
Comment posted February 13, 2011 @ 10:34 am
Feminists believe equal rights for all! I am a feminist, but I also see problems in our child custody and child pay that clearly is bias towards women, when many times the father should be paying far less, or should have custody of the child.
Dennis you are no more a feminist than i am klu klux klan member.
Palin and Bachmann do not believe in equality for all because if they did, they would quit shoving christianity down our throats
Comment posted February 13, 2011 @ 4:51 pm
@Dennis, Feminist views are rooted in full, and absolute equality. Indoctrination and forcing others into your personal view package is not equal. Supporting bills because you know you will never be effected, but knowing that economic challenged and women of color will be, is not being a Feminist.
Telling others what they can do with their bodies, even if you are another woman is not being an equal.
Telling someone what God or any God to believe in, is not Equal.
Not caring about the poor and those of differences is not Equal.
in that sense, if that is what a feminist is, then yes you are a feminist, because you do not want equality for all. Only for white, male, straight, Christian, conservatives of economic higher value.
You are exactly what Jesus died about, and was put to death by. You are what killed Jesus.
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