Brown kills bill seeking data on gender pay gap

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a measure Sunday that would have required large companies in California to disclose data on how they’re paying men and women differently.

The measure, AB 1209 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego), sought to shed light on gender pay disparities to better understand the persistent pay gap women face. Companies would have had to report to the state aggregate data on the difference in wages between male and female employees with similar job descriptions, as well as compensation disparities between male and female board members.

Brown’s veto message sounded a note of caution about the bill’s “ambiguous” details. “I am worried that this ambiguity could be exploited to encourage more litigation than pay equity.”

The proposal was fiercely opposed by business interests. The California Chamber of Commerce labeled it a “job killer,” arguing that the measure was meant to shame companies for wage disparities without taking into consideration other justifications for differences in pay.

“We know there is a wage gap at all levels of work. This is indisputable,” Gonzalez Fletcher said in a statement Sunday after Brown rejected the bill. “Policies that tinker on the edges will help, but until we become honest with ourselves and transparent, we will spend decades tackling this issue.”