Mississippi could become final state with equal pay law

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi could become the final state to enact a law requiring equal pay for equal work by women and men. The state House and Senate passed the final version of a bill Wednesday, sending it to Republican Gov. Tate Reeves. He has not said whether he will sign it. A 1963 federal law requires equal pay for equal work, but Mississippi is the only state without its own law. The bill says a lawsuit must be filed within two years of when a worker “knew or should have known” about pay discrepancies. Critics say the Mississippi bill has so many exceptions that it is meaningless.