On average, women in Missouri earn 71 cents to the male dollar, according to a study by the Institute of Public Policy and the Women’s Foundation.

Rep. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, recently introduced legislation to narrow this gap in pay.

House Bill 2370 focuses on directing the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to develop better methods to ensure that companies will compensate employees equally regardless of gender. It will also require transparency in the compensation practices of companies.

A research partnership between MU and the Women’s Foundation was announced in October of 2014 to study five areas: employment and income, education and childcare, social and economic, health, and leadership and public engagement.

“This research will help us identify potential areas of improvement where the lives of Missouri women and their families can be improved,” said Jacqueline Schumacher, policy analyst for the Institute of Public Policy, when the partnership was announced.

Webber now aims to improve inadequate payment practices outlined in the 2015 study. The best practices to adopt in order to narrow the pay gap, according to the study, are creating more equity-based pay structures and promoting transparency for pay practices.

“We need to be proactive in ensuring women are fairly compensated in the workplace,” Webber said in a news release. “Narrowing the gender pay gap will help businesses and government recruit the best and brightest from across the country, while helping Missouri families make ends meet.”

Weber also referenced a second study by the American Association of University Women done in 2013, which stated a 22 percent gap in annual earnings between men and women.

HB 2370 is not the first gender equality bill Webber has proposed. In March 2015, [Webber introduced House Bill 44](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2015/3/18/bill-hopes-address-gender-pay-gap/), which aimed to correct similar issues to the ones outlined in HB 2370.

Later in December 2015, Gov. Jay Nixon signed executive Order 15-09, which, like Webber’s proposals, aimed to eliminate the pay gap.

“Shortchanging 50 percent of the workforce is bad for women, it’s bad for families, and it’s bad for our entire economy,” Nixon said. “Equal work deserves equal pay — period. My executive order sends a strong message that Missouri intends to be a leader in creating an economy of opportunity that works for everyone.”

A hearing for the bill has not yet been scheduled.

_Edited by Hailey Stolze | hstolze@themaneater.com_