After many failed efforts, a group of Democratic Florida lawmakers are hoping this is the year the state legislature will close the pay gap between men and women.
If the year-round earnings of men and women continue to change at its current rate, Florida could be the first in the nation to end the gender wage gap by 2038. That’s according to a study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. But, Rep. Lori Berman (D-Lantana) says that’s too long.
“It’s not okay for us to have to wait until 2038 for women in Florida to close the pay gap,” she said. “Nationwide, 42 percent of mothers with children under the age of 18 are their families’ primary or sole breadwinners. So, when women make less than men, it affects our families. It affects our children.”
As she has for the past several years, Berman as well as other Democratic lawmakers filed bills this year to address the pay gap. But, the Republican-led legislature has never taken up the measures.
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