Dear neighbors,
With Governor Dayton signing the Women’s Economic Security Act into law on Mother’s Day, Minnesota made historic progress toward ensuring workplace equality for women and expanding prosperity for middle class families.
The Women’s Economic Security Act reduces the gender pay gap, expands unpaid leave for both moms and dads under the Minnesota Parental Leave Act from 6 weeks to 12 weeks, strengthens workplace protections and flexibility for pregnant women and nursing mothers and expands job opportunities for women in high-wage, high-demand occupations like engineering and computer science. It passed both the House and Senate with very strong bipartisan support.
If you would like to learn more about the bill, click here to check out a fact sheet or take a look at some of the news coverage over the past couple days.
Star Tribune: Dayton signs law to get women a better workplace
http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/258830761.html
Minnesota Public Radio: Dayton signs women's equal pay legislation
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/05/11/equal-pay-bill
KSTP: Gov. Dayton Signs Women's Economic Security Act on Mother's Day
http://kstp.com/article/stories/S3431478.shtml?cat=12681
The Women’s Economic Security Act will make Minnesota a better place to live, work and raise a family right now and into the future. I was proud to join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass the bill.
Sincerely,
JoAnn Ward
State Representative, District 53A