State Senator Linda Stewart (D–Orlando) on Tuesday addressed advocates of women’s economic equality who gathered at the Florida Capitol to speak out against the various barriers women encounter in the workplace. In an impassioned appeal to her colleagues in the legislature, Stewart urged for a hearing on Senate Bill 594, which she has introduced as a measure to prohibit wage discrimination practices based on sex.
“It is time Florida recognizes that equal pay is not just something to wish for, but something to stand for,” said Stewart. “If you truly value women, the work they do, the rights they have earned, and the respect they are owed, then hear and pass this bill.”
Senate Bill 594 is designed to prohibit an employer from various discrimination practices. This includes “providing less favorable opportunities to employees” and decisions based on their sex, unfair employment practices that relate to employee wages and benefits, and other actions indicative of labor and discrimination that occur in the workplace.
A companion bill, House Bill 393, has been introduced by Representative Lori Berman (D–Lantana).
