In January, Senator Brice Wiggins of District 52 introduced SB 770 ensuring equal pay protections for women in Mississippi. Working closely with the Mississippi House Judiciary A Chairwoman Angela Cockerham and Attorney General Lynn Fitch, the bill was blended with the House version to become House Bill 770, or the “Mississippi Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.” Wiggins was the lead Senate Conferee and today presented it to the full Senate body where it passed overwhelmingly. You can view Wiggins’ presentation of the bill on the Senate floor in this video beginning at the 4:15:50 minute mark by clicking HERE.
It has now passed both houses of the Mississippi Legislature and heads to the Governor for signature.
The bill has extra meaning to Wiggins and his family.
“This is a truly monumental day for women all across the State of Mississippi. Before this legislation, Mississippi was the only state in the nation that did not have equal pay protections for women,” said Wiggins. “I want things to be better for the hard-working women of Mississippi. My wife works full-time, and my daughter will soon go to college and enter the workforce hopefully here in Mississippi. Mississippi will now have equal footing for the women in the workforce and as a state, we can look forward to the opportunities it will bring to current and future generations of women in Mississippi.”
Working with, rather than against, business organizations in Mississippi, the legislature was able to get a bill that allows businesses to operate within the legal and business framework they are familiar with while allowing women to right wrong any discrimination that may have occurred, none of which should ever occur.
Click HERE to read the full bill that will now head to Governor Tate Reeves’ desk for signature.