BATON ROUGE – As the nation marks Women’s Equality Day tomorrow, voters in Louisiana are called upon to hold their leaders accountable for the failed policies that have left our state ranked last in the nation for gender pay equity. One leader is standing up for Louisiana families to demand equal pay for equal work: John Bel Edwards. He is the only candidate in the race who has voted ‘yes’ for meaningful, enforceable equal pay. His record of fighting for women stands in stark contrast to the field of Republicans vying to be the next Bobby Jindal.
At every opportunity in his long and storied career, Sen. David Vitter has failed the test of leadership and refused to support equal pay for the mothers, sisters and daughters of Louisiana. Vitter’s abuse of their trust and disdain for women’s hard work is a matter of record. Scott Angelle, by contrast, has no record on gender pay equity— but his silence during this year’s legislative session was deafening. Instead of speaking up and offering leadership while the legislature defeated a bill for equal pay, Angelle remained passively on the sidelines.
Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, who five years ago was campaigning on his promises to work with Jindal, has likewise been complicit in the broken GOP policies that have failed the women of our state. When John Bel Edwards was fighting for equal pay in the legislature, Jindal’s lieutenant was missing in action. He later told reporters he didn’t even read the bill.
“In the race for governor, only one of the four candidates has shown the kind of leadership and compassion needed to address the gender pay gap and to fight for equal pay for equal work,” said Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, chairwoman of the Louisiana Democratic Party. “John Bel Edwards is a leader who will fight for women voters in Louisiana.”
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