Miscellaneous

Ledbetter Bested

By Anne Skove, Esq.

Forging pellmell into the realm of common sense, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act today, his very first bill.

We were lucky enough to go to grade school with girls who wore pro-ERA t-shirts, but that, we do not need reminding, was a looooooong time ago. How this measure finally made it into law is a lot longer and more complex than the "I'm Just a Bill" song we all know and love.

What happened was this: Ms. Ledbetter spent nearly 20 years at a job. One day she learned that everyone else -- men -- was making more money than she was, despite her superior experience.

It certainly is a "long long journey to the Capital City!" Here, the case made it all the way to the Supreme Court. The Court stuck to the statute (which said she had to file within 180 days, even though she didn't learn the facts until later), but left the door open for change. Today, that change was enacted.

See Barack and Michelle Obama Lead Celebration of New Equal Pay Law, Dave Cook, Christian Science Monitor (January 29, 2009). "Now you're a law!"

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on January 29, 2009 (boomark / email).