Minimum Wage

Arkansas workers rejected same old arguments against initiative

Whenever the subject of raising the minimum wage comes up, many conservatives immediately warn of job losses and higher prices should such a thing happen.

When it comes to voting, though, even those in red states go for the green.

On Tuesday, reliably red Arkansas residents went to the polls and passed an increase in the state’s minimum wage in stages from $8.50 an hour to $11 an hour by 2021.

The National Employment Law Project says that will mean more money for at least 300,000 Arkansas workers.

Missouri—another red state—also saw voters approve a hike in the minimum wage, from $7.85 an hour to $12 by 2023. The measure is expected to boost earnings for around 677,000.

That’s a lot of folks. And it explains why 68 percent of Arkansas voters and 62 percent of those in Missouri voted for the increase.

About a fourth of all workers in Arkansas earn minimum wage. Many more earn a dollar or less above the minimum. These aren’t just teenagers in first jobs, as is often touted. Many are adults trying to support families. It’s tough. And it’s why Arkansas has one of the highest poverty rates in the U.S. according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

These people aren’t dumb. They hear the arguments against raising the minimum wage. But they see their own day-to-day struggles. And they know that despite the soaring economy, high corporate profits and rising executive compensation, not much has trickled down for them.

Lawmakers pay lip service to these voters but that’s about all they do. So in 2014, a ballot initiative bypassed the state Legislature and raised Arkansas’ minimum wage to $8.50. The initiative passed Tuesday was also a grassroots effort.

There’s a lesson here. Both business and lawmakers failed to pay attention to—or worse, just didn’t care about— the very real struggles of low-income Arkansans. So Arkansas workers took their case to the people in 2014 and in 2018. And won.

They could do it again. The same old arguments against raising the minimum wage just don’t work anymore. A new approach is needed. Actually listening to those Arkansans who work hard and still struggle to get by might be a good start.