Lift Up, Idaho to push for minimum wage adjustment
For the third year, an Idaho coalition is trying to raise Idaho’s Minimum Wage. For the past two years, the bill has been denied a hearing by legislative leaders.
This year, it is being co-sponsored by Representative Matt Erpelding and Senator Maryanne Jordan.
The proposal would increase Idaho’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 an hour on July 1, 2016 and to $9.75 on July 1, 2017. The wage for tipped workers would rise on the same schedule from $3.30 to $3.80 this year and $4.25 in 2017. Both minimum and tipped wage would be adjusted annually based on changes in the Consumer Price Index.
According to the coalition, Lift Up, Idaho, the state ranks second highest in the nation for minimum wage jobs and has among the lowest wages in the nation across nearly all sectors. Nearly 20 percent of Idahoans receive some sort of public assistance. And, the group said women and minorities who work full-time are less likely to earn a living wage than the population as a whole.
A living wage is currently listed as $14.57 an hour.
Lift Up, Idaho consists of United Action and Vision for Idaho, the Idaho Jobs Coalition, the Idaho Public Employees Association, the AFL-CIO of Idaho, IBEW 291, labor groups from across the state, Catholic Charities of Idaho, the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho, the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, Idaho Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Idaho Community Action Network, Transform Idaho, Restore Missions, and others.
