Indiana Democratic Party 4-14-18 Weekly Radio Address Podcast

Chairman John Zody and the 4-14-18 Weekly Radio Address Podcast:

This past Tuesday was Equal Pay Day. Not familiar with Equal Pay Day? Let me explain.

TRANSCRIPT:

This is Chairman John Zody, bringing you the weekly podcast for the Indiana Democratic Party.

This past Tuesday was Equal Pay Day. Not familiar with Equal Pay Day? Let me explain.

It takes nearly 100 additional days, for example, into 2018 for Hoosier women to earn what men made in 2017 alone. April 10 marked the date women’s pay caught up with men’s.

According to a report from the National Partnership for Women and Families, Hoosier women earn just 74 cents for every dollar men make. The pay gap is worse for Hoosier women of color. African American women earn 64 cents on every dollar of what their white male counterparts are paid, and Latina women earn just 54 cents.

Indiana’s gender pay gap actually grew in 2016, one of just a handful of states to gain that inglorious distinction. The gender pay gap costs women $12,700 annually, or the equivalent of a brand-new Chevy Spark every year. This is an economic issue and it’s something that costs Hoosier women hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of their careers.

But it’s something Indiana Republicans have largely looked the other way on. Bills to address equal pay and other economic issues like childcare and paid leave havegone unheard in the Indiana General Assembly.

It’s no surprise then, that Indiana earned a “D” from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research for the economic status of women in the state. Indiana ranked dead last – I repeat LAST – in work and family policies.

This isn’t for lack of action by Hoosier Democrats. Statehouse Democrats have carried bills to make equal pay for equal work in Indiana a law for decades. House and Senate Democrats have also authored legislation to tackle the rising cost of living by reducing the cost of child care and instituting a paid family leave program. All blocked by Republicans.

It’s a matter of priorities and, it appears from their actions, that Statehouse Republicans just don’t care. Simply pointing out their inaction has been criticized by GOP leaders as not “fair”.

You know what else isn’t fair? Working just as hard as your male colleagues and earning $12,000 less on average. We can do better.

That’s why electing more Hoosier Democrats to the Indiana General Assembly in 2018 is so critical. Want to make progress? Go volunteer for a candidate running for the state legislature. Sign up at indems.org/join and we’ll get you plugged in.

Please follow the IDP on Facebook and Twitter. Simply search INDems – that’s I-N-D-E-M-S on Facebook and Twitter, and follow us to get the latest news about our candidates and what we’re doing to hold our counterparts at the Statehouse and in Washington accountable.

Only together can we fight for fairness, the future and work toward a brighter and better state for Hoosiers of all walks of life to succeed in working and raising a family.

Thank you for listening.