SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, is fighting for equal pay for women by sponsoring legislation to prevent gender-based pay discrimination and prohibit the practice of requiring job applicants to submit their salary history.
“It is unfair to pay women less for the same work when they have the same duties and experience as men,” said Gordon-Booth. “We need to crack down on corporations and employers that use historical pay discrimination against women in order to continue paying women less than what they deserve.”
Gordon-Booth is a sponsor of House Bill 834, which would make it illegal for an employer to force job applicants to reveal their wage or salary history when applying for a job. It also would strengthen state law that prohibits employers from paying unequal wages to employees who perform similar duties and have similar experience. The goal of this legislation is to put an end to the fact that women, particularly women of color, have historically been paid less than their male counterparts.
Gordon-Booth previously sponsored similar legislation that passed with a bipartisan majority; however, former Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed that legislation when he chose to put the profit of multi-million dollar corporations over the economic success of Illinois women.
“It is unacceptable that pay discrimination against women exists, and this measure allows Illinois to move forward by ending unequal pay practices and leveling the playing field,” Gordon-Booth said. “I will fight every day to make sure that pay discrimination ends and women receive equal pay for equal work.”
