SB 2018-302: Living Wage Act (Debating)

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

I believe it should either be proportionate to the cost of living in each state, or something along the lines of 10.50. 7.25 is no where close enough to sustain a normal living wage, and to people who may point out they are “part time jobs”, around 20% of people in my home state have a college degree. Does that mean they’re necessarily less intelligent? No. Not everyone is rich, not everyone is fortunate enough to have a comfortable, cozy office job. I believe this will help grow the middle class. Tell me this. Say a 40 year old man is struggling, he’s putting in 40 hours a week, making 7.25 an hour. That’s 290 a week, for tough work. It’ll come out to 1,160 dollars a month. Is that really enough to buy or rent or own a home, to pay for electricity and food? You shouldn’t have to choose between food and a home, or electricity and healthcare. I agree with the overall message of this bill, but a 15.00 minimum wage would have a strange effect on the economy. However, I’ll evaluate more economists opinion on this topic before making a commitment to vote aye or nay.