Montini: Republicans want you to gut the minimum wage law

EJ Montini: Arizona lawmakers think you were stupid to increase the minimum wage. And are stupid enough to undo it.

EJ Montini
The Republic | azcentral.com
Republicans want you to gut the minimum wage law you approved.

The Republicans who control the Arizona Legislature would like to gut Arizona’s new minimum wage law – the one voters overwhelming approved.

And they want you – those same voters – to gut it.

I know what you’re thinking.

And you’re right.

They really do have some nerve.

Counting on our stupidity

The Republicans in control are happy that you elected them, but when it comes to creating public policy, like an increased minimum wage, they believe you to be stupid.

Stupid enough to confirm their belief and undo it.

Voters passed an initiative that raised the minimum wage to $10 per hour. That went into effect in January. The law then increases the minimum wage by 50 cents a year until it hits $12 in 2020.

Our hardest-working, lowest-paid brothers and sisters will hardly get rich off the increase. Depending on their family situation and the town in which they live, the increase may or may not be enough to keep food on the table, gas in the car and a roof overhead.

Are the poor getting too rich?

But Republican Sen. Sylvia Allen, who sponsored SCR 1016, apparently believes the increase is excessive. She got the Republicans on the Committee on Commerce and Public Safety to approve the measure. It was a party-line vote.

If the Republican-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House go along with the plan, the issue will be on the November ballot.

It will ask you to cut off future minimum wage increases.

Gutting the wage increase already has been tried, of course. A coalition of big shots lead by The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce tried to have the wage increase blocked by way of a lawsuit.

Gov. Doug Ducey didn’t call them out. He didn’t tell them loudly and publicly and often to back off.

Court smacked down a lawsuit

But the Arizona Supreme Court smacked down the legal challenge, voting unanimously to uphold the new voter-approved minimum wage increase.

That was a front door assault. This time, they’re going through the back. Trying to get you to slam the door on the fingers of progress.

But is the minimum wage a problem?

Sure doesn’t seem like.

Late last year a giddy Gov. Doug Ducey tweeted: 

Shouldn’t the governor – and all of us -- be just as proud of the hardworking citizens on the lowest rung of the jobs ladder?

Instead, lawmakers are showing maximum disdain for minimum wage employees – and for you.

MORE FROM MONTINI:

Trump's ransom demand: $12,500 per 'dreamer'

Ban bump stocks; take guns from accusers

Charter schools bilk you, dump kids