2011
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 11-038
       
       
       BY SENATOR(S) Hudak and Giron, Aguilar, Bacon, Boyd, Carroll,
       Foster, Guzman, Hodge, Jahn, Johnston, King S., Morse, Newell,
       Nicholson, Schwartz, Steadman, Tochtrop, Williams S.;
       also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Duran and Looper, Acree, Balmer, Barker,
       Baumgardner, Becker, Beezley, Bradford, Brown, Casso, Conti, Coram,
       Court, DelGrosso, Ferrandino, Fields, Fischer, Gardner B., Gardner D.,
       Gerou, Hamner, Holbert, Hullinghorst, Jones, Joshi, Kagan, Kefalas,
       Kerr A., Kerr J., Labuda, Lee, Levy, Liston, Massey, McCann,
       McKinley, Miklosi, Murray, Nikkel, Pabon, Pace, Peniston, Priola,
       Ramirez, Riesberg, Ryden, Schafer S., Scott, Solano, Sonnenberg, Soper,
       Stephens, Summers, Swalm, Swerdfeger, Szabo, Todd, Tyler, Vaad,
       Vigil, Waller, Williams A., Wilson, McNulty.
       
       
          CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF APRIL 12, 2011, AS
       "EQUAL PAY DAY" IN COLORADO, AND, IN CONNECTION
       THEREWITH, ACKNOWLEDGING THE PERSISTING PROBLEM
       OF WAGE DISPARITY AMONG VARIOUS GROUPS. 
       
       
          WHEREAS, Nearly forty-eight years after the passage of the "Equal
       Pay Act of 1963" and Title VII of the "Civil Rights Act", women and
       people of color continue to suffer the consequences of inequitable pay
       differentials; and
       
          WHEREAS, According to statistics released in 2010 by the U.S.
       Census Bureau, year-round, full-time Colorado working women in 2009
       earned only 79% of the earnings of year-round, full-time working men,
       indicating little change or progress in pay equity; and
       
          WHEREAS, According to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2005 to
       2009, women of color experience even greater pay disparities, with
       year-round, full-time Colorado working African-American women and
       Latinas earning 62% and 52%, respectively, of the earnings of the highest
       earners; and
       
          WHEREAS, Men of color also experience disparities when their pay
       is compared to that of the highest earners; and
       
          WHEREAS, As women get older, the pay gap widens significantly;
       and
       
          WHEREAS, Over a working lifetime, wage disparities cost the
       average Colorado woman and her family an estimated $429,000 in lost
       wages, also impacting Social Security benefits and pensions; and
       
          WHEREAS, Fair pay equity policies can be implemented simply and
       without undue costs or hardship in both the public and private sectors;
       and
       
          WHEREAS, There exists a strong business and public interest case for
       pay equity; and
       
          WHEREAS, Fair pay strengthens the security of families today and
       eases future retirement costs, while enhancing the American economy;
       and
       
          WHEREAS, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, symbolizes the time in the new
       year in which the wages paid to American women catch up to the wages
       paid to men from the previous year; now, therefore,
       
          Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-eighth General Assembly of
       the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:
       
          That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly:
       
          (1)  Proclaim Tuesday, April 12, 2011, to be "Equal Pay Day" in the
       state of Colorado; and
       
          (2)  Urge governmental agencies, nonprofit and labor organizations,
       businesses, and individuals to take steps to implement fair pay equity
       policies to help close the pay gap for Colorado's women and people of
       color.
       
          Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to
       9to5, National Association of Working Women; ACLU of Colorado;
       American Association of University Women - Colorado; Cherry Creek
       Business Women's Network; Colorado Business Women; Denver Tech
       Center Colorado Business Women; Colorado Coalition for Girls;
       Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights;
       Colorado Progressive Coalition; Colorado Women's Chamber of
       Commerce; Denver Women's Commission; FRESC: Good Jobs, Strong
       Communities; Latina Initiative; League of Women Voters of Colorado;
       Mi Familia Vota Colorado; NAACP of Colorado Springs; NARAL
       Pro-Choice Colorado; National Coalition of Jewish Women - Colorado;
       New Era Colorado; One Colorado; Project WISE; Rights for All People;
       The Alliance of Professional Women; White House Project - Colorado;
       Women's Foundation of Colorado; Women's Collaborative for Colorado;
       Women's College of The University of Denver; Women's Lobby of
       Colorado; and Zonta International District 12.
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Brandon C. Shaffer                     Frank McNulty
       PRESIDENT OF                    SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES
       
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Cindi Markwell                        Marilyn Eddins
       SECRETARY OF                CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES