Thursday January 15, 2009, 1:33 pm
This is an important Act which needs to be passed.

For those who may not know what this Act entails:

"The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other anti-discrimination laws to clarify at which points in time discriminatory actions qualify as an “unlawful employment practice.” According to the legislation, unlawful conduct occurs when: “(1) a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted; (2) an individual becomes subject to the decision or practice; or (3) an individual is affected by application of the decision or practice, including each time compensation is paid.” The law further states that individuals may receive back pay as compensation for discrimination that occurred up to two years preceding the filing of a charge.

This legislation clarifies that employment discrimination law should be interpreted the way courts have traditionally understood it – until the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a more restrictive interpretation in the 2007 Ledbetter V. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. decision. In this case, the Court ruled that plaintiff Lilly Ledbetter was not eligible for compensation despite years of being paid far less than her male peers and even some male subordinates. According the Court, unlawful discrimination had occurred only when her employer first set the discriminatory pay rate, even though Ledbetter had no way of knowing about it until years later. Under this ruling, since Ledbetter’s employer was able to conceal the discrimination for years and she did not find out about the discrimination until it was too late to file a complaint (within 180 days of the first discriminatory paycheck, according to the Court), she had no legal recourse. By reaffirming that a fresh discrimination offense occurs each time an individual is impacted by a discriminatory practice, including each paycheck that includes unfair compensation, this legislation effectively reverses the Supreme Court’s harmful decision and ensures that people subjected to discrimination in the future will continue to have effective recourse to the law."

Thursday January 15, 2009, 1:35 pm
Thank you, Lindsey! If I could give you another star, I would!

Thursday January 15, 2009, 1:40 pm
I truly hope this makes it all the way. It's unconscionable - no employee is going to know right off the bat what other workers in his new company are earning. It may take years for discriminatory practices to become known - and, of course, that's too late to sue under the current climate.

We also had a similar situation here in Alabama - a man who developed health problems from exposure to toxic chemicals at work was unable to receive compensation because the symptoms of his illness appeared more than two years after the date of first exposure. Even though symptoms of his particular disease are known to take longer than that to first appear - he was denied compensation.

A completely unreasonable and fantastic attitude.

Thursday January 15, 2009, 2:04 pm
Thank you

Thursday January 15, 2009, 4:48 pm
my senator voted yes...noted

Thursday January 15, 2009, 4:53 pm
Thank you for this post, I gave Lindsey a star for you Rebecca. For far too long the wool has been pulled over womens eyes and it is done mostly be men. I'm not saying all men are this way but men are mostly in the power positions. Shame on men who do not Honor the women workers, the women are the life bearers and givers, many tend to be raising children alone, so not only do the women suffer but the children do as well...and the children are our future.

Thursday January 15, 2009, 6:33 pm
Noted...and I will forward to my entire frienedlist...thank you!

I am shocked my state actually voted. Usually its a battle.


Alaska: Begich (D-AK), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Yea

Thursday January 15, 2009, 8:24 pm
New Hampshire Gregg (R) Yea Shaheen (D) Yea

Saturday January 24, 2009, 2:27 pm
Never forget, for one moment, that RepubliCON$ think only of them$elve$ and have no interest in helping the people in our country:


McConnell: Employee Free Choice Act will ‘fundamentally harm America and Europeanize America.’narrow interest groups”

Blackwell: GOP Must Defeat Job-Creating Stimulus Because It Will Ruin GOP’s Election Chances»

Sunday January 25, 2009, 6:48 am
I hope that the constituents of those that voted nay, will write letters of dissatisfaction!
The final results of Nays:
NAYs ---36
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Wicker (R-MS)