Today marks the 55th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, a landmark piece of legislation that works to eliminate wage disparities based on gender. When President John F. Kennedy signed the legislation into law in 1963, a woman made just 59 cents on the dollar. Today, women earn just 79 cents on the dollar compared to men, and this gap is wider for women of color. If we continue at our current pace, the wage gap will not fully close until 2058 - that is unacceptable.

Colorado has the sixth smallest wage gap in the nation, with women making 84 cents on the dollar compared to men. If the gap were eliminated in Colorado, it would be equivalent to 8.6 months of childcare, 6.9 months of rent, or 0.7 additional years of tuition and fees for a four-year public university.

Although we have made great strides in overcoming wage discrimination, I believe we can do more to end the gender wage gap. I support equal pay for equal work and support policies to allow employees to accrue paid sick time and to establish a national insurance program for paid family and medical leave.

After learning of Crystal Tadlock’s case from a story that ran on KDVR in April, my office contacted Crystal and her attorney. The $500 fine and revocation of her Global Entry status seemed excessive. My staff and I met with several officials from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to learn more about their policy. After the meeting, we received positive news that Crystal’s fine had been dropped and her Global Entry reinstated. Click below for the updated story.