The bill to repeal the pay equity law, SB 202, was authorized by one of the more conservative members of the Legislature, Sen. Glenn Grothman, R- West Bend.

The Legislature has until April 5 to send the bill to Gov. Scott Walker. By law, the governor has six days to act on a bill once it’s sent to him. However, he doesn’t have to actively sign the bill for it to take effect. If he fails to act on it, the bill becomes law automatically after six days, under a provision in the state statutes.

A spokesman with Walker’s office said the governor is still evaluating the bill.

“I’m very confident he will do nothing to stop this bill from becoming law,” says Dana Schultz, state director of 9to5 Milwaukee, an organization that advocates for issues that affect low-income and working women. “The bill does nothing to create jobs. If anything, lack of pay equity costs the state money.”

Schultz says studies show that full-time, working women in Wisconsin lose roughly $9.2 million in pay annually because of the wage gap. Because the loss of wages, in many cases, translates to the inability of women to pay for groceries, cover utility bills or afford a mortgage or rent, many women are forced to turn to public subsidies to cover these costs, Schultz says.