Rep. Pagan offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 55.

            A resolution to declare April 4, 2017, as Equal Pay Day in the state of Michigan.

            Whereas, Equal Pay Day is the day marked each year when a womens earnings catch up to what a man earned in the previous year; and  

            Whereas, It has been 54 years since the passage of the Equal Pay Act and even with the passage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act just one year later, women and people of color continue to suffer the consequences of inequitable pay differentials; and

Whereas, According to the most recent Census data of medium salaries of all full-time, year-round workers in the United States, a woman still earns just 79.6 cents for every dollar a man earns and the gender pay gap is even larger for women of color; and

            Whereas, In Michigan, it is estimated women wont reach pay equality until the year 2086; and

            Whereas, Over a working lifetime, wage disparity costs the average American woman and her family $700,000 to $2 million in lost wages, impacting Social Security benefits and pensions; and

Whereas, Pay discrimination based on any factor is wrong, employees should be compensated by their employers based solely on their merits; and

Whereas, Fair pay strengthens the security of families today and eases future retirement costs while enhancing the American economy; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare April 4, 2017, as Equal Pay Day in the state of Michigan. We urge Michigans citizens to recognize the full value of womens skills and significant contributions to the labor force.