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