After working at the same company for over 20 years, Michelle Siemer said she was still paid less than the men she supervised.

Siemer, an Eagle County mother of three, said she spent decades collecting accolades and additional responsibilities at her job. But while Siemer had the same duties as many of the male senior managers at her company, she remained a manager, and her pay reflected the lower status. Siemer said she advocated for promotions and raises but was repeatedly denied, leading her to leave the company last year.

“I stayed as long as I did because I wanted to provide for my family,” Siemer said. “Many other women have also been underpaid by my former employer and are afraid of rocking the boat. Women with children don’t rock the boat because we are afraid our kids will fall out.”

Though Colorado passed the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act in 2019, requiring businesses to provide equal pay to employees performing substantially similar work, many women say they continue to face pay discrimination in the workplace.

Lawmakers are trying to address these gaps with Senate Bill 105. If passed, the bill would implement measures to enforce the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and make other updates to the law. The bill cleared its first committee hearing on Tuesday.

“The Equal Pay for Equal Work Act is working … but we have learned many things since it passed,” said Sen. Janet Buckner, D-Aurora, who sponsored the act in 2019 and is now sponsoring SB 105. “This bill is a...

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