News and Views on Politics, Policy and More
The House Public Health Committee is slated to take up Rep. Butch Wilkins’s minimum wage hike tomorrow morning. The proposal would raise the state’s minimum wage from $6.25 to $8.25 -- unless you’re a full-time student who works less than 20 hours a week. Under current law, these students are only entitled to 85% of minimum wage -- Rep. Wilkins’s bill would cut that percentage by 20 points, down to 65%. What would the real effect be for working full-time students? Let’s do some … [Read more...]
This week, state Representative Butch Wilkins introduced a bill to increase the government-mandated minimum wage from $6.25 to $8.25 per hour -- an increase of 32%. Raising the minimum wage is one of those ideas that sounds great as long as you don’t think about it very much. Perhaps the most immediate consequence for Arkansans will be the artificial spike in prices on consumer goods. How many of you would like to pay 32% more for your meals? But of course you won’t pay exactly 32% more … [Read more...]
Thanks to all of you who tuned in for our live election night coverage. I have updated that post to now show that Republicans captured 21 of 35 seats in the Arkansas Senate and it appears that they will capture a very, very narrow majority in the House. There is a recount next week in the John Hutchison-LJ Bryant race that will determine the balance of power on the House side. But enough about politics! What type of policy changes are we likely to see in the upcoming legislative session now … [Read more...]
