JANUARY 29, 2016  

7th Anniversary of “Equal Pay Can’t Wait” Signing by Ledbetter

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Two important things I want to share with you today: the anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the online way to complete our constituent survey.

First, the link to the online survey. You should have received a hard copy survey in the mail last week, but if you didn’t here’s a link to the online version.  My goal is to get 200 responses and we are half way there!  Please take a moment and share your thoughts with us.  We want to hear from you!

Today marks the anniversary when President Obama signed the Fair Pay Act in 2009. Over 25 states joined together to commemorate Lilly Ledbetter, a retired employee of Good Year Tire.  Ledbetter filed an equal-pay lawsuit regarding pay discrimination when she realized she was being paid less than her male counterparts when doing the same work.  The pay discrimination meant over the fifteen years she worked there she lost over $270,000 in wages! The complaint was time-barred because the discriminatory decision related to pay had been more than 180 days prior to the date she filed her charge.  Read more about it here.

Today, we came together to call for immediate action on this family issue.  It’s a matter of fairness and needs to be addressed.  What is shocking to most is that at the current rate of pay equalization it won’t be until the year 2142 that women in Alaska will have equal pay!

You can watch the press conference featuring Senator Gardner, Representative Drummond, and myself, along with representatives from the Alaska Women’s Lobby and young women from the Juneau community.

Upcoming Opportunities!

To research your property's assessment, click here.  For the Property Appraisal Division page of the Municipality of Anchorage website, click here.

Down Payment AssistanceProgram – FREE Educational Classes for first time buyers (or those who need a refresher!) Emailcstender@cookinletlending.com to RSVP and sign up for upcoming classes. 

Interested in buying a home, but need help getting started? We can help!  February 10, 2016 @ 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. We will be hosting a class about our Individual Development Account Program providing you with an overview of the program and how to complete the application.

Until next week,

Representative Geran Tarr