It's Time To Raise Minimum Wage Rate In Arkansas

HERE IS THE DIFFERENCE IN HUTCHINSON AND ROSS

Maylon Rice
Maylon Rice

The measure to potentially raise the minimum wage in Arkansas from $6.25 an hour to $8.50 an hour by 2017 made the November ballot last week.

Voters will decide the question.

Both the state's gubernatorial candidates have made the Minimum Wage issue, albeit it late in the 2014 race, a central issue.

Hooray.

The proposal will be called Issue No. 5 on the ballot.

We have an issue that most Arkansans can talk about and relate to. Both candidates for governor seem to view this issue differently.

Both men, saying through their press spokesmen, want the raise the minimum wage from $6.25 an hour for the poorest of the working poor.

Arkansas is only one of four states -- out of the 50 states in the country -- to have minimum wage rates lower than the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. In that gang of four are Minnesota, Wyoming, Georgia and sadly, Arkansas.

These states seem to want to also keep the working poor earning less than the federal minimum wage. Or as we say in the Deep South, they are folks "just barely getting by."

But back to the contrasting views on the two gubernatorial candidates.

Asa Hutchinson, seeking his fourth attempt at a state-wide office and his second attempt at the corner office in the State Capitol, keeps defending himself that he is, indeed, for the minimum wage hike.

But he (Hutchinson) wants the state Legislature to raise it -- and not by a vote of the voters.

One has to wonder why?

Well, Hutchinson explains, it would "...give the Legislature the power to raise it as needed."

As needed! As if it was not already needed.

But the state Legislature won't bite at that hook. Too much pressure from folks who might be against the issue and say it would be an unfunded mandate of government on small business. That is typical GOP drivel against this issue.

Randy Zook of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce says there is no "organized opposition" to the minimum wage hike in 2014.

Also awaiting on the Legislature to raise the minimum wage, puts Hutchinson is in the "fallback" position. He can always moan and be sympathetic to the public that the Legislature just didn't think it was time.

Hutchinson says, personally, he is for the minimum wage increase. But he has done little else. He did not sign the petition. He does not advocate for the proposal in his speeches.

And he won't tell us if he will vote for it or not on Nov. 4th.

Mike Ross, the Democratic candidate, however is in support of the voters going to the polls and raising the state's minimum wage. Ross, you see, is not afraid of saying those making less than $7.50 an hour should get a vote in getting the minimum wages increased.

"I have consistently voted to raise the minimum wage, I signed the minimum wage petition to get the measure on the ballot, and I will proudly vote in November to give hardworking Arkansans a raise," Ross said in a statement put out by his campaign.

He also asks a question: "Arkansans deserve to know why Congressman Hutchinson believes $17,680 [annually] is too much for an Arkansan working full time to earn a living and raise a family?"

Think about that question Mr. and Mrs. Voter.

What job would you do that pays $6.25 an hour?

Wouldn't you want an eventual wage increase to $8.50 by January 2017?

And we all can do better by our fellow man than just letting them "get by."

MAYLON RICE, A FORMER JOURNALIST HAVING WRITTEN BOTH NEWS AND COLUMNS FOR SEVERAL NWA PUBLICATIONS, HAS BEEN WRITING FOR THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

Editorial on 09/10/2014