AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) - State Sen. and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis is so eager to hear Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Republican nominee, talk about his stance on equal pay that she literally has begun counting the seconds.
On Tuesday, Davis launched the "Act Like A Texan" clock on her campaign website hoping to hold Abbott accountable for his silence on the issue of equal pay for equal work.
As of March 26, the digital clock, which counts every seconds, on the website reads 17 days.
As previously reported, two weeks ago Davis unleashed a flurry of tweets accusing Abbott of not caring about equal pay for equal work for Texans, bringing a wave of media attention to the matter.
"This Texas gal is calling you out," Davis said. "Act like a Texan and answer this question for yourself: what on earth is going on at your attorney general's office? Why do you think it's okay to pay women in your office less than men when they do the same work?"
Davis' website says it has been widely reported that in Abbott's office female assistant attorneys general earn approximately $6,000 less than their male counterparts despite doing the same work.
During an interview with WFAA-TV earlier this month, Abbott said he supported equal pay for women but added that existing state statutes protect against pay discrimination on the basis of gender.
However, apparently the answer was not adequate for the Davis campaign.
"For sixteen days and counting, Greg Abbott has not directly answered a question on equal pay and instead has relied on spokespeople and surrogates to speak for him to voice his opposition to the issue," states the website.
"When will Greg Abbott finally break the silence? The clock is ticking ..."
From Legal Newsline: Reach David Yates at elections@legalnewsline.com.
Davis escalates equal pay attack on Abbott
