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Arizona Republicans Block Vote on Equal Pay Amendment


As some readers might have heard, this past Tuesday was Equal Pay Day across the country.  To commemorate this day, Democrats in Arizona attempted to have a vote in the state legislature on the Equal Pay Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  (The Equal Pay Amendment broadly guarantees equal rights to men and women).  As a bit of background, the Equal Pay Amendment was introduced in the U.S. Congress back in the ‘70’s but failed to acquire the minimum 38 states needed to formally make it an amendment to the Constituion.  (That effort back in ‘72 only fell three states short).  As a result, the duty fell on the legislatures of each state to ratify the amendment.  As of this writing, 14 states have yet to ratify the Equal Pay Amendment.

Turning back to Arizona, for the second straight year, Democrats sought to have a vote on the matter.  However, Republicans (who have majority control) voted along party lines, 32 - 25, to recess for the day and subsequently avoid a vote.  This procedural tactic came after both Democrats and Republicans spoke about the proposed amendment, with Democrats in particular giving an impassioned plea that it was time for Arizona to make history and approve the Equal Pay Amendment.

For the time being, Republicans in the state have avoided another vote on the Equal Pay Amendment.  With that being said, with equal pay continuing to be a major talking point in recent years and Nevada becoming the 36th state to ratify the amendment last year, this could be a matter of when (not if) Arizona will follow suit and also ratify the amendment.


For additional information:  https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/505858002

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