Lawmakers Addressing Gender-Wage Gap

In the wake of a 2018 study that found women in Wyoming are routinely paid less than men, lawmakers are considering three bills aimed to address what has been the nation’s worst wage gap.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports that the three bills are moderate, small fixes to existing statutes. That’s according to House Minority Leader Cathy Connolly, a democrat from Laramie, who is sponsoring the measures. 

HB71, which passed unanimously, would align penalties for violating the state’s equal pay act with other incidents of wage theft. A second bill brought up by the committee would bar employers from prohibiting workers from discussing their wages.  That bill passed 8-1. The most controversial bill was HB84 – a piece of legislation that would require a biennial analysis of the wage gap within state government. That bill passed 5-4.

The bills cleared the House Labor Committee on Monday night after several hours of deliberation and will now be debated by the full House.