Democrats are vowing to make the minimum wage a midterm issue and will start by making a push to raise it once Congress is back in session this month. But Republicans don’t support another increase, which was last raised four years ago to $7.25 an hour. … So why don’t […] Read more »
As 2014 brings new state laws, a look at public opinion on the issues
Every new year means adding thousands of new state laws to the books. This year’s wide range includes everything from tanning bed age limits (Illinois), to a new ban on selling shark fins (Delaware). While most new laws represent incremental change, sometimes state laws can also signal broader movement on […] Read more »
Democrats Turn to Minimum Wage as 2014 Strategy
Democratic Party leaders, bruised by months of attacks on the new health care program, have found an issue they believe can lift their fortunes both locally and nationally in 2014: an increase in the minimum wage. … With polls showing widespread support for an increase in the $7.25-per-hour federal minimum […] Read more »
Most Back Minimum Wage Hike & Policies to Address the Wealth Gap
Two-thirds of Americans in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll support increasing the minimum wage, rejecting arguments that doing so could encourage layoffs and reflecting majority sentiment that current federal government policies favor the wealthy. Those who support a higher minimum wage even have a recommended level: The average response […] Read more »
The Minimum-Wage Cure for Illegal Immigration
Last week, Ron Unz, a California businessman, submitted a ballot initiative to the California secretary of state that would raise the state minimum wage to $12 an hour in 2016 from the current $8. The federal minimum wage is $7.25. Many states have minimum wages above the federal rate. Democrats […] Read more »
The Economic Implications of the 2013 Elections
… In 2013, voters across the country approached the polls with a very clear agenda, expressing not only their ongoing anxiety about the state of the economy, but also their strong desire to help the middle class and level the economic playing field for working families. This trend was not […] Read more »