Mike Pence Kicks Off Women’s History Month by Kicking Out His Female Lt. Gov

INDIANAPOLIS – How did Mike Pence kick off Women’s History Month? By kicking out his female lieutenant governor – that’s how. Hoosiers shouldn’t be surprised by this news. It was Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann who opposed RFRA, the law which threw Indiana into a $250 million economic panic and put Indiana’s “Hoosier Hospitality” reputation in jeopardy.

“After Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann disagreed with the governor’s intolerant and embarrassing policies toward LGBT Hoosiers, he’s pushed her aside for someone who will be his clone,” said Drew Anderson, communications director. “Mike Pence has a long record of discounting the voice and needs of women. He still doesn’t support equal pay for equal work and, as a congressman, twice voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Act. Mike Pence only seems to listen to people who are in lockstep with him and governs as an ideologue. That’s why Mike Pence is failing as governor and it’s why Indiana continues to fall behind the rest of the nation.”

Gov. Pence’s agenda against Hoosier women has caused the state to fall short of reaching its full potential. Currently, women make 75 cents to every one dollar earned by their male counterparts. Further, women in Indiana hold two out of every three minimum wage jobs offered in the state. But where does Mike Pence stand on economic security for women? In Congress, Pence voted twice against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and against the Paycheck Fairness Act because in the words of Pence, “encouraging more investment, job opportunities” were the best ways to “address” the pay gap between women and men.

Wage inequality for women adds to the economic insecurity experienced by many Hoosier workers. Last year, Hoosiers made only 86 cents to every one American dollar – causing Indiana to fall to 39th in per capita income. Mike Pence is quick to tout unemployment figures, but he fails to mention wage inequality for our Hoosier workers. Hardworking families want to see commonsense leaders like John Gregg, who support measures like equal pay for women, but also advocate for the creation of quality jobs in Indiana.