‘Political games’ supersede debate on pay equity for women

DES MOINES - Rep. Abby Finkenauer is a 27-year-old first-term member of the Iowa House who already is growing impatient.

'This is an issue that I'm really tired of having to talk about in the year 2016,” the Dubuque Democrat said about pay equity during floor debate this past Monday.

Despite her attempt to put more teeth in the law, Finkenauer will have to wait. Impatiently.

Finkenauer's amendments to the economic-development budget contributed to a legislative day that lasted more than 13 hours but ended with no debate, no vote, no change. It was a stalemate after Republicans countered with an amendment to force Democrats to vote for legislation they believe would weaken public employee collective-bargaining laws.

'It was a political play,” said House Labor Committee Chairman Greg Forristall, R-Macedonia. 'They wanted to a vote on pay equity and we didn't want a vote.

Just to be clear, he added, 'I can't stand people who discriminate.”

Finkenauer agreed it was a case in which Republicans 'kept trying to play political games and we played back.”

Forristall argued Iowa's law dating back to 1965 civil rights legislation is 'pretty strong.” It's been updated a number of times, most recently when Democrats controlled the Legislature in 2009.

The law - which basically says the state Legislature finds pay inequity leads to discrimination against lower-paid employees, low employee morale, curtails employment opportunities, impairs purchasing power and 'threatens the well-being of citizens” - has done little good, Finkenauer said.

'We still have a huge wage disparity for men and women doing the exact same work,” she said in floor remarks.

Last year, women's wages fell from 78 cents per $1 earned by men doing the same work to 77 cents. The difference could amount to as much as $11,000 a year for the 71 percent of Iowa families that have a woman as the sole or primary breadwinner.

She proposed requiring all entities that contract with the state - road builders, health care and day care providers, law firms and others - would have to certify they pay the same wages to men and women with the same educational levels and experience. It only seems fair, she explained, because those contractors get tax money paid by 'men and women - although making less than a man at the same job.”

Despite her argument, Monday night Democratic and Republicans - who are paid the same regardless of education, experience and effort - withdrew their amendments without a vote being cast.

'We played games,” Forristall explained, 'until everyone got tired, and then we went home.”

Tuesday night, however, the House approved a Republican amendment 99-0 to have the governor appoint a task force to study pay equity.

'It's not the whole enchilada,” Finkenauer said, 'but when you're in the minority, well, it's something.”