| 1 | 1 | | 85R10728 BPG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Alonzo H.C.R. No. 73 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The federal minimum wage was established at the |
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| 7 | 7 | | height of the Great Depression, through the Fair Labor Standards |
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| 8 | 8 | | Act of 1938, to keep working Americans out of poverty and stimulate |
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| 9 | 9 | | the economy by increasing purchasing power; and |
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| 10 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Since 1968, the real value of the federal minimum |
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| 11 | 11 | | wage has declined by about 25 percent because there is no automatic, |
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| 12 | 12 | | annual cost-of-living adjustment; across the country, 29 states and |
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| 13 | 13 | | the District of Columbia have adopted a higher minimum wage to help |
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| 14 | 14 | | workers keep up with inflation, and in 2016, 25 states approved new |
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| 15 | 15 | | minimum wage increases, according to the National Employment Law |
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| 16 | 16 | | Project; in addition, 18 cities and counties approved such hikes; |
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| 17 | 17 | | and |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, The Texas minimum wage has remained at the federal |
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| 19 | 19 | | rate of $7.25 per hour since 2009; a worker with a full-time, |
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| 20 | 20 | | year-round minimum-wage job brings home only $15,080 annually, |
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| 21 | 21 | | leaving a family of three to struggle below the poverty line, unable |
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| 22 | 22 | | to afford the average two-bedroom apartment; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, Of the top 10 growth occupations for the next |
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| 24 | 24 | | decade, as projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6 are |
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| 25 | 25 | | low-wage jobs, including home health aides, customer service |
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| 26 | 26 | | representatives, food preparation and service workers, personal |
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| 27 | 27 | | and home care aides, retail salespersons, and office clerks; |
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| 28 | 28 | | raising the minimum wage would improve pay scales for millions of |
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| 29 | 29 | | men and women in these positions; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Higher wages stimulate the economy by increasing |
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| 31 | 31 | | consumer spending without adding to state and federal budget |
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| 32 | 32 | | deficits; consumer spending drives 70 percent of the economy, and |
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| 33 | 33 | | growing demand energizes production and hiring; moreover, research |
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| 34 | 34 | | has documented that raising wages benefits employers by enhancing |
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| 35 | 35 | | productivity while reducing turnover and the related costs of |
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| 36 | 36 | | recruitment, restaffing, and training; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Cost-of-living analyses show that almost everywhere |
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| 38 | 38 | | in the United States, even a single low-wage worker needs to make at |
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| 39 | 39 | | least $15 an hour to cover basic living costs, and in some |
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| 40 | 40 | | communities and regions, workers supporting families require much |
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| 41 | 41 | | more; now, therefore, be it |
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| 42 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 43 | 43 | | hereby express support for a $15 per hour minimum wage. |
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