“Being elected to serve in the state Legislature IS being hired to do a job — a job on behalf of your entire community, no less,” Berger said in an email. “Men, women, Republicans, Democrats. Those with whom we agree, and those with whom we disagree.”

Berger said Gay’s comments are part of a larger trend in which politicians are making “inflammatory comments with no real backing that do nothing to tackle the real, significant challenges we face as a state.”

Gay, in an interview Friday, said his absences were more legitimate because he was sick. Other lawmakers have missed time in Cheyenne because they were on vacation, he said.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion,” he said of his colleagues who have criticized him.

In previous interviews, Gay said he’s interviewed employers about women workers and has statistics based on their answers. Gay declined to specify the employers he’s talked to. His comments have been described as old-fashioned, sexist and out of touch with modern working parents.

Gay’s views on working women also appear different from those of presidential hopefuls Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, who both propose big changes they say will help working parents and the gender-pay gap.