An equal pay bill moved a big step closer to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk Friday when the Colorado House gave Senate Bill 85 preliminary approval.

The bill needs a recorded roll call vote in the House. Then it will go back to the Senate, where it passed the bill 20-14 a month ago. The upper chamber, however, must approve the bill that was amended in the House before the session ends next Friday.

“I want my three granddaughters to know their worth and know they should be given equal pay for the same type of work,” said Rep. Janet Buckner, D-Aurora, one of the bill’s sponsors.

Some Republican women in the House pushed back on the legislation. Rep. Perry Buck, R-Windsor, said it’s an open invitation to litigation, which Sen. Kim Ransom, R-Littleton, said could bankrupt small businesses.

“It’s not so much of a woman thing,” Buck said. “I don’t believe in the woman being the victim. You look at how many more are getting advanced degrees. Women are on a movement.”

Ransom said the bill has “great motives,” but it’s rife with unintended consequences. She spoke of her work career as a single mother.

“I never needed the government to come in and tell my employer what I needed to be paid or to negotiate things on my behalf.”

She added, “Guess what? I have equality. I had it years ago, and I was able to get pay raises by working hard, by going to school and getting yet another degree, by putting in the extra mile at work, by working hard, by meeting deadlines, by having a lot of productivity.”

Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp, D-Arvada, who chairs the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee, said her committee added amendments to “level the playing field.” She said it was important that the business community be able to comply with the workplace rules that could be set into state law, as the legislature sends an important message on pay parity.

“It is so important that we pay people equally,” she said Friday morning. “This is absolutely vital, and we understand that basic value, and we want to ensure that value is a value in Colorado.”

Rep. Susan Beckman, R-Littleton, who has a background in human resources, questioned the need for a state law. She noted equal pay has been a matter of federal law since 1963.

“If there is a claim made, a discrimination claim, usually there is a remedy that people try to find, because the last thing you want to do is discriminate on the basis of any protected class,” she said. “There are many, many levels to remedy this. Employees go to court all the time.”

In her closing argument, Buckner asked, “Why would we not want to give employees more rights? … Sometimes the government does have to get involved.”

Rep. Lori Saine, R-Dacono, said the supporters of the bill talk a lot about fairness and equality, but they don’t extend that courtesy to small businesses in their proposal.

“Small businesses are not equal to large businesses, not even close,” she said. “Small businesses don’t have the luxury of legal departments. The private right of action contained in this bill … could bankrupt a small business. Even those found not to have violated the law will be forced to spend thousands of dollars defending themselves in time and money.”