Amy Traub

Raising the Floor in Arkansas

I love it when progressive policies (okay, even modest, incremental policies that just make life a little bit less unfair) prevail in unlikely places. April has been a good month for that.

Last week, I noted how Alabama lifted the onerous taxes it imposed on the working poor. This week, I'm pleased to report that Arkansas has become the latest state to raise its minimum wage above the federal level. Starting October 1st, the lowest paid Arkansans will make $6.25 an hour. Republican Governor (and presidential hopeful) Mike Huckabee even signed the bill, albeit not with much enthusiasm. When you add Arkansas to Michigan, which also passed a new minimum wage law due to take effect on the same day, the list of states with a minimum wage higher than the stagnated federal level jumps to 20.

That's 40% of the states containing more than half of the nation's population. Another sign of how progressives can make policy inroads at the state level (even in very conservative states) despite the hostile climate in Washington. Here at DMI, one of our favorite signs of this is, of course, Maryland's Fair Share Health Care law, an innovative policy to make sure large employers take responsibility for their employees' medical needs. Join us on May 8th for a panel discussion with MD State Senator Gloria Lawlah about how this policy model is spreading across the nation (especially in New York). And keep your eyes out for more small progressive victories (I like big ones even better).

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Posted at 2:40 PM, Apr 25, 2006 in Economic Opportunity | Economy | Labor
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