In the landscape of American labor, the minimum wage remains a key issue. While a federal minimum wage of $7.25 has been in place since 2009, state laws vary significantly across the country. Currently, 30 states and Washington, D.C., have set their minimum wages above the federal baseline, while five states have not adopted a minimum wage.
Washington has the highest state minimum wage at $16.28, and the district's is $17. Georgia and Wyoming have the lowest minimum wages at $5.15 per hour.
In this month’s installment of “State of Play,” a bipartisan video series created by A Starting Point and NCSL, two senators from across the aisle weigh in on the debate over states having the flexibility to set their own minimum wage laws.
“Minimum wage is an incredibly important protection for workers all across the country, but I do think that states should have the ability to enhance and increase that wage level based on the state legislature’s assessments of the needs of the state,” says Oregon Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin (D).
Tennessee Sen. Becky Duncan Massey (R) agrees. She points to the differences among states when it comes to cost of living, economies, tax rates and other factors. Tennessee, for example, uses the federal base, but she adds, “We do not have a state income tax in Tennessee; we’re one of the lowest tax states in the country. State taxes don’t take up that much of your income, so I think you take a lot of that into consideration.”
When it comes to the debate over tying minimum wage to inflation, Gelser Blouin says it’s a good discussion for states to have.
“Here in Oregon, we have been slowly increasing the minimum wage over time, and we tie that to the consumer price index,” she says. “That’s automatically built in so we don’t have to vote on it. Businesses are also able to plan for (increases). So, yes, the minimum wage needs to keep up with the growth of inflation and the needs of the people that it serves.”
Massey says she sees both sides of the argument.
“Your spending power is getting less because things cost a whole lot more, whether it’s groceries or gas,” she says.
Watch the full video now.