Earlier this year, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (R) signed a bipartisan pay equity bill, which prohibits employers from requiring salary history information before receiving a formal job offer.

Other states have followed suit in diminishing this harmful practice. Governor of California, Jerry Brown (D), signed into law a bill saying that salary history can’t be the only reason to point to if a wage discrepancy exists. Legislators in Maryland, Delaware, Utah, and Nebraska also passed equal pay bills in 2016. Red, blue, and purple states are realizing that the pay gap is real and are taking steps to close it.