An equal pay bill loses in the House as opponents succeed in convincing colleagues it duplicates current state law and would cost business millions. When Representative Jewell Patek of Chillicothe contends the state already requires equal pay for equal work and that the bill is being pushed for political reasons, Sponsor Joan Bray of St. Louis counters it’s being pushed because woman and minorities still lag behind their white, male counterparts in pay. Bray’s proposal also would have allowed those with a claim to take their case to state court, rather than federal court. It falls short, receiving only 68 votes, with 86 representatives voting against.
