Equal Pay Legislation Advances to Senate, Stuart Calls for Support with Equal Pay Petition

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To fight against wage discrimination in the workplace, state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, sponsored and supported House Bill 834, which passed out of the Illinois House last week with overwhelming bipartisan support.

“I am proud to have helped lead the charge to pass equal pay legislation out of the Illinois House.  Now, I am circulating a petition to show the state Senate and Governor Pritzker that equal pay for equal work is important to the people that I represent,” said Stuart.  “I encourage local residents to sign and circulate my petition.  Together we can make our voices heard, and prove that equal pay is the will of the people.”

Stuart is sponsoring House Bill 834 to crack down on discriminatory hiring practices that can lock women into career-long wage inequality.  This measure passed out of the Illinois House last week with vast bipartisan support, and now advances to the state Senate for consideration. 

“Since a gender wage gap still exists, House Bill 834 will strengthen the Illinois Equal Pay Act by making it a violation for employers to ask job applicants about their prior salary or to confirm it with their employer, in order to stop perpetuating unequal pay,” said Melissa Josephs, Director of Equal Opportunity Policy with Women Employed. “Instead, employers should hire employees based on their skills and experience, and pay them based on their budget and the going rate for the job.”

Stuart is now circulating an equal pay petition, collecting signatures of local residents to show that equal pay for equal work is long overdue, and is an idea supported by many Illinoisans.  To add your name to Rep. Stuart’s equal pay petition, or for your own copy, please contact her full-time constituent service office at 618-365-6650 or RepKatieStuart@gmail.com.