Two bills related to pay practices — which Democrats hope will be the first laws signed when Barack Obama is inaugurated — passed the House today.  They will be taken up by the Senate next week.  Both died in the Senate in earlier efforts to pass them, but their chances look better this time around.

HR 11 is the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  The bill is designed to reverse the US Supreme Court's ruling in Ledbetter v. Goodyear.  See our post on the Court's Ledbetter decision here.  We did a number of followup posts as well.

HR 12 is the Paycheck Fairness Act.  It's designed to put more teeth into the Equal Pay Act and thus reduce gender-based pay inequalities.  If enacted it will allow the recovery of compensatory and punitive damages, and the filing of related class action suits.  It would also make it unlawful for employers to retaliate against employees for discussing salary information with co-workers.

We'll follow the proceedings in the Senate.