BATON ROUGE — On Equal Pay Day, lawmakers and activists are highlighting Louisiana’s second-worst in the nation ranking on pay equity — a shameful fact that Sen. David Vitter would do nothing to correct, given his record of voting against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
“This week the U.S. Senate will take up equal pay legislation, and Sen. Mary Landrieu has been a champion on this issue,” said Louisiana Democratic Party Chair Karen Carter Peterson. “Unfortunately, our junior senator has failed to stand up for Louisiana women. Vitter’s disastrous record on equal pay means that Louisiana women will fall further behind. When Louisiana women earn just 67 cents for every dollar a Louisiana man makes, we can’t afford to have someone in the governor’s mansion who won’t fight for us.”
In 2009, Vitter voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored protections against pay discrimination based on sex, race, national origin, age, religion and disability.
According to the AAUW, Louisiana ranks 50th in pay equity, with Louisiana women earning an average of $31,586 annually compared to $47,249 by Louisiana men. The gender pay gap is worst in Louisiana’s Third Congressional District, where women earn 60 cents on the dollar compared to men.
For more on Vitter’s anti-women record, visit www.vitterforgovernor.com.
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