Mechling points to California as an example of such reforms. Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed into law a bill that amends the state’s Equal Pay Act, introducing greater burdens on employers to justify wage disparities. That law also eliminates the “same establishment” requirement. This means, Mechling writes, “that a female department store manager, for instance, could sue her employer upon learning that she makes less than a similarly situated male manager at a different branch across town.”

Mechling sums up: “Washington state needs legislative reform in this area and it doesn’t look like Congress is going to act. States should follow California’s lead in creating a viable avenue for women to recover for sex discrimination.

This should be a wake-up call to our state and country leaders.”