Backers say it simply deletes a redundant and outmoded mandate. Opponents see it as a reversal of decades of progress on women's equality.

At issue is a tiny provision tucked into a bill at the Legislature that would repeal required reporting on pay equity for female local government employees.

"It is widely recognized that this is an unnecessary mandate," said Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa. He sponsored the bill that would zap the pay equity reporting requirement, along with a host of other local government requirements.

But a nearly shaking Rep. Terry Morrow, DFL-St. Peter, said he is "deeply disturbed" that the bill "sends a threatening message about Minnesota's commitment to equal pay." Morrow said if the repeal passed it would be "misguided" and "devastatingly detrimental."

Since 1991, Minnesota's 1,500 local governments, including cities, school districts and counties, have been required to report information to the state on whether female employees are being paid wages equal to their male counterparts.

According to the state's report on results this year, "96 penalty cases have been resolved over the past 14 years resulting in $1,267,851 in total restitution paid to approximately 1,300 employees for past inequities."

Drazkowski said the idea behind the law was laudable, but he said underpaid women have other recourses for dealing with lesser pay and the state requirement is too burdensome for local governments.

"We are working hard to eliminate mandates on local units of governments that are costing them money," he said.

He has some support for that move from government officials.

"We support the mission behind gender-pay equity, but we consider the reporting process itself to be an unfunded mandate," said Laura Kushner, human resources director at the League of Minnesota Cities.

"There are three laws that already mandate that cities not discriminate against women based on gender," she said, ticking off the federal Equal Pay Act and Civil Rights Act and the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

But Rep. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said none of those have yet meant that women are earning the same wages as men.

"I think this is a mandate worth holding on to," Murphy said.

Rachel E. Stassen-Berger • 651-292-0164