Tennessee state lawmakers have begun to try to close the gender wage gap among workers in the state.
Representative John Ray Clemmons, Senator Sara Kyle, and Senate Nominee Erin Coleman led the proposal.
Clemmons said according to research, women make up 47 percent of the workforce and many of them are breadwinners.
Yet, women are still making only 79 cents to the dollar as males in the same job.
"Let's be clear, this wage disparity hurts Tennessee families. Every dollar that a woman is not able to earn is a dollar that isn't going into a household budget and it's a dollar that isn't circulating back into the economy. It's a dollar that isn't being spent on groceries or school clothes or books or any number of other things that families need," said Coleman.
Clemmons closed the conference by saying no one should be making less because of their gender.
