Changing Lives
After months of delay, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act passed in the Senate and the House. That means that women facing wage discrimination will be able to effectively fight for their right to equal pay, thanks in large part to women in the Senate and the House. And on January 29, President Barack Obama signed the bill into law.
Leading the way
Previously, progressives tried to right the Supreme Court's decision limiting women's right to sue for equal pay by introducing the legislation, but the bill's passage was blocked in the Senate.
An historic moment
Women in the Senate led the way and tried again. The Senate passed this important legislation and, signing his first piece of legislation as the nation's leader, President Obama has signed the act into law.
February 23, 2009
Schakowsky: Pushing for more after Ledbetter
Women's Enews
Rep. Jan Schakowsky is hoping for a "big change moment" to tackle women's concerns. Even so, a bundle of bills propose incremental reforms that could add up.
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February 19, 2009
Do federal judges discriminate against discrimination claims?
Wall Street Journal
Do job discrimination plaintiffs get a raw deal in federal court?
A WSJ piece today examines that question, citing recent studies that show discrimination plaintiffs lose at a higher rate in federal court than other plaintiffs and more often get tossed out of court on summary judgments.
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February 9, 2009
Feministe highlights differences between Obama, Bush bill signings
News from the Field
EMILY's List Chief of Staff Britt Cocanour recently included the following commentary in a message to EMILY's List members:
"I ran across these photos on the blog Feministe two weeks ago that speak volumes about how different things really are these days. First, there’s Bush and his cadre of men-in-waiting signing off on legislation to restrict reproductive rights. Thanks for your concern, gentlemen! Compare that to the photo of President Obama’s very first bill-signing, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to combat wage discrimination. Notice anything different? Oh, and Obama signed this bill the same week he issued an executive order lifting the global gag rule on family planning services. What a difference an election can make."
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January 29, 2009
Obama signs first piece of legislation into law
The Washington Post
President Obama this morning signed a law that expands the time frame in which workers can sue for discrimination they have experienced based on gender, race, national origin or religion.
The legislation -- the first Obama has signed since becoming president nine days ago -- makes clear that workers may bring a lawsuit for up to six months after they receive any paycheck that they allege is discriminatory.
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