OKLA ban minimum wage hike by localities

mickeyrat

Hmmm.....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/15/oklahoma-minimum-wage_n_5152496.html

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) signed a bill Monday prohibiting cities across the state from establishing mandatory minimum wage and employee benefits, including vacation or sick leave days.

Advocates of the new law contend that efforts to increase the minimum wage across various municipalities could potentially harm local business communities.

"This bill provides a level playing field for all municipalities in Oklahoma," state Rep. Randy Grau (R), a backer of the bill’s House version, said on Monday, according to the Associated Press. "An artificial raise in the minimum wage could derail local economies in a matter of months. This is a fair measure for consumers, workers and small business owners."

Opponents of the measure view the move by Oklahoma Republicans as retaliation against an initiative underway in Oklahoma City, where organizers have been gathering signatures to raise the city’s minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10, in line with President Barack Obama's federal minimum wage proposal.

The petition, filed by the Central Oklahoma Labor Federation and attorney David Slane, would need to collect 80,000 signatures to reach a statewide vote.

Slane called the measure disappointing, criticizing the state legislature for stripping "the right of the people to decide minimum wage."

Fallin defended her support for banning a minimum wage hike as an effort to protect consumers in a press release Monday, noting that "most minimum-wage workers are young, single people working part-time or entry-level jobs."

"Mandating an increase in the minimum wage would require businesses to fire many of those part-time workers. It would create a hardship for small business owners, stifle job creation and increase costs for consumers," Fallin said. "And it would do all of these things without even addressing the goal of reducing poverty."

According to a February report by the Congressional Budget Office, raising the minimum wage from its current level of $7.25 to $10.10, while indexing future increases to inflation, would boost collective earnings by $31 billion for 33 million low-wage workers and lift an estimated 900,000 people out of poverty.

gimmesometruth27

the republicans will try to discredit the CBO because it goes against their ideals. but when the CBO helps their side they give it all kinds of credibility.

that said, this law is just stupid for a whole host of reasons and this is going to be challenged in the courts, where it will be overturned.

gimmesometruth27

if you are not going to raise the wage to $10.10, why not let them do it on a city by city basis? they want government out of the picture, yet this is example number 1 of state government making moves to keep people in poverty. maybe if the minimum wage were raised, there would be less people on medicaid and food stamps, so the taxpayer burden may be lessened???

callen

Raising national MW seems like a no brainer. So a Big Mac goes up a quarter.

Really surprised repugs don't support as it would take many off "Entitlements" and the added costs would affect the poor more than the Haves.

gimmesometruth27

i just realized that my average meal at a drive through is somewhere in the neighborhood of $8. that means that i just paid more for my dinner than the people that took the order, prepared the food, and handed it to me make in an hour.

mickeyrat

gimmesometruth27 said:

i just realized that my average meal at a drive through is somewhere in the neighborhood of $8. that means that i just paid more for my dinner than the people that took the order, prepared the food, and handed it to me make in an hour.

to be fair it only took like 5 minutes tops.

I swear though, it seems some state repubs cant help fucking themselves over with shit like this.

mikepegg44

There are two ways to look at the dollar...total amount you have and what it can actually buy...we seem to spend a lot of time worrying about how many people have...maybe it is time to actually focus on what it can actually buy you...

I certainly do not agree that a state should tell a municipality it cannot have a higher minimum wage if it so chooses to have one...they will just have to deal with the consequences of such an action.

unsung

I disagree with this as much as I disagree with a mandatory minimum. Government should not be setting wages or limiting them.

callen

unsung said:

I disagree with this as much as I disagree with a mandatory minimum. Government should not be setting wages or limiting them.

And I'm on this side of fence as well most of the time but know the power rests in the corporations and wealthy and they will use my tax dollars to subsidize their ventures. And as collective bargaining has been eliminated, raising the minimum wage is in my best interest and the US. Crime. Taxes.