Washington, D.C. – Republicans in the Senate have killed a bill that would have removed limits on how long workers can wait before suing their employers for pay discrimination.
The measure was defeated on a 56-42 vote.
Opponents said the bill would cause a flood of lawsuits. Democrats said it was needed to help employees to recoup lost wages.
The legislation was named for Lilly Ledbetter, a supervisor at the Goodyear Tire plant in Gadsden, who sued for pay discrimination just before retiring after a 19-year career there. By the time she retired, Ledbetter made $6,500 less than the lowest-paid male supervisor and claimed earlier decisions by her supervisors kept her from making more.
The Supreme Court voted 5-4 last May to throw out her complaint, saying she had waited too long to sue.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)