colorado-state-capitolYawn. This again. Desperate Democrats have staged rallies to demand that legislatures across the country, including Colorado’s legislature, pass legislation that women must be paid equally to men. It’s a nice soundbite and literally every single attribute being equal, paying women equally to men would be ideal.

Perhaps, Democrats should try it themselves sometime.

In 2014, Democrats tried the same nonsense and, sadly for them, research showed that Democrats pay women less than their male counterparts. In fact, it was this pay differential that helped to show what a hypocrite former U.S. Sen. Mark Udall was. He claimed he stood for women’s rights, yet paid his female staffers 82 cents for every dollar he paid men. At the same time, Republican Reps. Gardner and Coffman actually paid their female staffers more than male staffers.

Unfortunately, this equal pay brouhaha that Democrats are pushing has less to do with ensuring equality and more to do with paving the way for easy lawsuits against businesses. Who benefits? The trial lawyers, one of Democrats’ largest donor groups. Not women. Of course, this comes on the heels of Governor Hickenlooper’s refusal to turn over records to show that he pays women equally to men.

In conjunction with these rallies, Colorado legislators introduced legislation that would require companies that contract with the state to pay women equally. Here’s what Compass Colorado’s Kelly Maher said about the proposed legislation:

“House Democrats live in a world devoid of reality. Employers consider a variety of factors when they are deciding pay, including education, experience and quality of work. Taking those factors out of the equation will stifle growth and progress in every sector and industry across the state.”

Businesses should have the right to pay employees as they see fit. If the Governor doesn’t have to reveal whether he pays women equally, neither should Colorado businesses.