AJR21: Joint Resolution Text

LRB-1592/2

CMH:amn

2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE

2021 Assembly JOINT RESOLUTION 21

March 25, 2021 - Introduced by Representatives Sinicki, Milroy, Hintz, Hesselbein, Spreitzer, Subeck, Anderson, Andraca, Baldeh, Billings, Bowen, Brostoff, Cabrera, Conley, Considine, Doyle, Drake, Emerson, Goyke, Haywood, Hebl, Hong, McGuire, B. Meyers, Moore Omokunde, L. Myers, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Pope, Riemer, S. Rodriguez, Shankland, Shelton, Snodgrass, Stubbs, Vining and Vruwink, cosponsored by Senators Johnson, Wirch, Smith, Bewley, Ringhand, Carpenter, Agard, Larson, Roys and L. Taylor. Referred to Committee on Rules.

AJR21,1,1 Relating to: observing Wednesday, March 24, 2021, as Equal Pay Day in Wisconsin.

AJR21,1,4 Whereas, Equal Pay Day occurs each year on the day when all women working full-time year around have finally achieved the same annual earning as their male counterparts did the previous year; and

AJR21,1,7 Whereas, since World War II, when Wisconsin women worked in factories and shipyards, Wisconsin women have remained the most likely in the United States to be in the paid workforce—ranking first among the states; and

AJR21,1,10 Whereas, in 2019, about 1.5 million Wisconsin women were in the labor force (across all sectors), and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, this represented about 74 percent of the state's female population 16 years and older; and

AJR21,1,13 Whereas, 2021 marks 102 years since the passage of the 19th Amendment by Congress on June 4, 1919, which was one of the first steps in providing equal rights to women; and

AJR21,2,3 Whereas, working Wisconsin women truly contribute to a profoundly better quality of life in our state by significantly raising the incomes of their families and their communities; and

AJR21,2,6 Whereas, Wisconsin narrowed its pay equity gap between 2004, when women earned on average 29 cents less per dollar than men, and 2019, when women earned on average 19 cents less per dollar; and

AJR21,2,10 Whereas, women of color earned even less in 2019, with Asian women earning 20 cents less, American Indian women earning 32 cents less, African American women earning 34 cents less, and Latino and Hispanic women earning 35 cents less per dollar than their male counterparts; and

AJR21,2,13 Whereas, continued progress in narrowing the pay equity gap in Wisconsin will help greatly to maintain Wisconsin families' overall high quality of life; now, therefore, be it

AJR21,2,16 Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the legislature recognizes Wednesday, March 24, 2021, as Equal Pay Day for all working women in Wisconsin.

AJR21,2,17 (End)