Rachel Allen
A bill that would raise Wyoming’s minimum wage will be up for consideration at the 2016 state legislature, for the third year in a row.
House Bill 4, sponsored by Representative James Byrd, D-Laramie, proposes to raise Wyoming’s state minimum wage from its current $5.15 per hour.
“Except as otherwise provided in this section, every employer shall pay to each of his or her employees wages at a rate of not less than nine dollars and fifty cents ($9.50) per hour,” according to the bill.
“Somebody’s got to make up the difference between a livable wage,” Byrd said, “and what they’re getting paid. We’ve got to do it. It’s the right thing to do.”
The bill has received support from multiple organizations.
“The organization that I run is in support of the bill,” Adam Croft, a member of Better Wyoming, said. “We think it’s a critical step for not only advancing Wyoming workers, but also advancing the Wyoming economy.”
Brianna Jones, executive director of the Equality State Policy center, said raising the minimum wage is an important step for working families in Wyoming.
Wyoming has the lowest minimum wage nationwide, which is almost $2 under the Federal minimum wage of $7.25.
“One third of Wyoming workers are not covered by the Federal minimum wage,” Croft said. “The average age of workers that will be affected by the increase is 35…88 percent of workers that will be affected are at least 20-years-old.”
He said the wage increase would not make the most impact on college students or teenagers, but on single parents and other employees with families.
“Studies have shown that in order to afford a one bedroom apartment in Wyoming, minimum wage workers have to work 64 hours a week,” Croft said. “We’re looking at an economy where a minimum wage worker cannot afford to live working full time.”
There are some who do not feel the same way and are opposed to Byrd’s bill.
“I am currently against raising the minimum wage to $12 or $15,” Joe Jackson, the treasurer of UW College Republicans, said. “It makes it harder for companies to hire new workers. This is especially true of low skill workers, many that are in school and our that are working fast food or stores.”
Jackson said drawbacks could include less new hires for people our age and consumers may have to pay more for services to “offset the cost of the business paying more in wages.”
Croft said these issues would not be a problem.
“We don’t think there will be any detrimental effects because it’s not a big enough change to make a splash,” he said. “If you look at other areas that have raised the minimum wage, there’s no real increase in the costs of goods and services or a real decrease in employment.”
Jackson said the issue is not straightforward, but rather complex with many components.
“Obviously this issue is very complicated, not just with people’s lives but also with our current fragile economy,” he said. “This is a great political issue for an election year because it is a popular idea to just say that we need to raise the minimum wage, but the issue is a lot more complicated than most voters understand.”
However, organizations and representatives continue to make attempts to increase Wyoming’s minimum wage, despite facing tribulation.
“Pretty much since our conception, we’ve been working on it and trying to shed some light on it,” Jones said. “We work on behalf of all working people in the state, so this is a top priority for us. We believe that all families should have a living wage.”
