For a state that fancies itself progressive, it’s always good to prove it.

When Gov. Mark Dayton signed the Women’s Economic Security Act into law on Mother’s Day, it placed Minnesota at the forefront of the discussion on female equality in the workplace.

Today in Duluth, that discussion advances. The “Women & Families Economic Security Summit” at the DECC is the first of three nationally, joining Harrisburg, Pa., and Orlando, Fla., leading into a June 23 summit hosted by the White House.

For Liz Olson, Duluth’s inclusion in the discussion makes perfect sense. She cited the 8th Congressional District as being home to one of the biggest pay disparities between men and women in the state, particularly on the Iron Range and other rural areas.

“This would have been a different discussion had it taken place in St. Paul,” said Olson, who is the Duluth organizing and policy manager for TakeAction Minnesota, which is hosting the summit in conjunction with the Center for American Progress, a Washington, D.C., think tank.