ENROLLED
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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 136
BY REPRESENTATIVES SMITH, BARROW, AND ST. GERMAIN
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To urge and request the Department of Economic Development to encourage new and
existing Louisiana companies to create strategies aimed to increase the number of
women employed in STEM positions.
WHEREAS, STEM is an acronym and term referring to the fields of study in
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; and
WHEREAS, schools across the state of Louisiana have recognized that STEM
disciplines are the key to high-wage paying jobs across the country; and
WHEREAS, studies have frequently shown that the pay gap between women and
men in Louisiana is among the largest in the country; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Women's Policy and Research Commission is the state
commission charged with monitoring the status of Louisiana women for the purpose of
evaluating their economic, educational, and health issues, identifying and analyzing trends
that impact women's health and prosperity, and providing policy recommendations to
address the challenges faced by women in our state; and
WHEREAS, research of the commission finds a current achievement gap between
males and females in STEM disciplines in Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, nationally, the wage gap between men and women improved slightly
from 2011 to 2012 and according to the latest United States census data, women now earn
seventy-eight and eight tenths cents on average to every dollar a man makes; and
WHEREAS, during this time period from 2011 to 2012, the gender wage gap in
Louisiana actually widened and in 2012, Louisiana women working full time, year-round
earned just sixty-six and nine tenths cents for every dollar earned by a Louisiana man; and
WHEREAS, in 2012, the Louisiana gender wage gap was thirty-three percent, a gap
two cents greater than in 2011; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 136
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WHEREAS, the disparity in earnings between Louisiana women and men has
consistently ranked Louisiana forty-ninth or fiftieth among the fifty states and the District
of Columbia and in 2012, Louisiana was again fiftieth; and
WHEREAS, research of the commission finds that the gender wage gap tends to be
narrower in STEM disciplines and the wages are higher than in other fields; and
WHEREAS, the commission seeks to further the progress of women in our state by
increasing the number of women employed in STEM positions; and
WHEREAS, special emphasis has been given to education reform measures
implemented in our K-12 curriculum, such as mentoring programs and clubs supporting
STEM that specifically encourage young women to pursue STEM disciplines; and
WHEREAS, the same special emphasis given to education reform measures to
encourage young women into STEM disciplines should necessarily be included in the
strategies of Louisiana companies to encourage women to pursue STEM careers, thereby
increasing the number of women in STEM positions; and
WHEREAS, companies relocating to Louisiana can show their commitment to
women in STEM by encouraging the diversity of their current staff and by working with
educational systems in Louisiana to promote women in STEM positions; and
WHEREAS, the state should continue to encourage Louisiana firms offering STEM-
related jobs to make these jobs known to students and graduates through both the Louisiana
Connects and Star Jobs computer systems; and
WHEREAS, these portals have the potential to be essential two-way communication
links between students, graduates, and employers, providing students and graduates with
insight into available STEM jobs and the motivation to achieve academically in order to
qualify for these careers; and
WHEREAS, through a collective effort between the Louisiana Women's Policy and
Research Commission, the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus, the Office on Women's
Policy, the Louisiana Department of Education, the Louisiana Board of Regents, and
Louisiana Economic Development, there can be a strong commitment to seeing an increase
in the number of women studying and working in STEM disciplines by crafting recruitment
strategies highlighting STEM positions as open and available to women. ENROLLEDHCR NO. 136
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Department of Economic Development to encourage new and existing
Louisiana companies to create strategies aimed to increase the number of women employed
in STEM positions.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Department of Economic Development.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE