The end of the legislative session is coming up fast: Sunday, July 31st. So your senator needs to hear from you about two simple but transformative steps MA can take to advance gender equity.

(1) We Need Wage Equity Now

In 2016, the Massachusetts Legislature passed an equal pay law, aimed at closing the gender wage gap. But without good data and tracking, the law is hard to implement: indeed, some numbers point to a widening of the gap since then.

That's why passing the Wage Equity Now bill (S.2721) is so important. The bill would require all employers -- private, non-profit, and governmental -- with 100 or more employees to report the average wages by gender, race, and ethnicity for the entire organization, and to publish wage ranges in job applications and postings. This data would offer a vital tool for creating accountability and measuring progress.

The bill is currently sitting in the Senate Ways & Means Committee, and your senator needs to hear from you about the importance of bringing it to the floor.

(2) Gender Justice & Housing Justice

The Senate is taking up an economic development bill later this week. Last session, the Legislature passed a version of the HOMES Act, which would create a process for sealing eviction records. Governor Baker vetoed it, and the Legislature didn't have the time to override him.

The housing crisis is a gender equity issue. Studies have shown that women, and especially women of color, face higher rates of eviction than men, and households headed by single mothers have some of the highest eviction rates.

Currently, in Massachusetts, even if a tenant wins in eviction court, their eviction record is public and permanent, creating a lasting impact on their ability to find housing and jobs.

That's why State Senator Lydia Edwards filed Amendment #18 to the Senate's economic development bill. Amendment #18 will protect tenants from being unfairly marked with an eviction record and establish a fair process for tenants to petition the court on a case-by-case basis and provide that:

• Tenants can petition to seal immediately after a case is dismissed or there is a judgment in their favor.
• Tenants facing a no-fault eviction can seal their records after the conclusion of the case.
• Tenants facing a non-payment eviction can seal their record within 14 days of satisfying a judgment.
• Tenants facing a fault eviction can seal their records after 3 years.
• Tenant screening companies cannot report and landlords cannot use a sealed court record to screen tenants.