Republicans again reject the will of the voters in service to Grover Norquist

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Arizona Republicans have a real problem with democracy and respecting the will of Arizona voters. In yet another move in a series of measures designed to overturn the will of Arizona voters who have approved citizen initiatives to which the Grand Ayatollah (Grover Norquist) is opposed, the GOP Taliban yesterday sought to undermine Proposition 202 (2006) establishing the minimum wage in Arizona (the proposition was overwhelmingly approved by voters: 987,374 in favor, 523,070 opposed).

The House Commerce Committee voted Wednesday to set the minimum wage for anyone younger than 22 at 75 percent of what those 22 and older are required to be paid. With the state minimum wage at $7.25 an hour, that translates to $5.44. Panel: Young workers should be paid less:

The minimum wage for everyone else is pegged to inflation and would increase in January if the Industrial Commission finds that costs have gone up. HB2639 would track that increase and then cut it by 25 percent.

The exception would begin in January and last for three years.

Rep. Laurin Hendrix, R-Gilbert, who crafted the measure, conceded that Wednesday’s vote is legally meaningless for most Arizona businesses.

The federal minimum wage also happens to be $7.25 an hour. The only exception for youth is for those 19 and younger, who can be paid $4.25 an hour — but only for the first 90 calendar days of employment.

Hendrix said, though, federal laws apply only to businesses that have at least $500,000 worth of gross sales in any year and are involved in any way in interstate commerce.

But Hendrix said that still leaves some small companies that could take advantage of the legislation.

"Take advantage" is the operative phrase there. "Exploit youth" would be more accurate.

Rebekah Friend, executive director of the state AFL-CIO,said this is little more than an effort to undermine the decision by voters in 2006 to create a state minimum wageand require annual increases tied to inflation. Various business groups tried at the time, unsuccessfully, to convince voters not to approve the change. So did Americans for Tax Reform, the national organization founded by Grover Norquist that asks lawmakers to sign pledges that they won’t raise taxes.

On Wednesday, Barry Aarons, who lobbies for Norquist’s group, was the only one to testify in favor of the sub-minimum wage for those younger than 22. Aarons was there promoting the myth that the minimum wage has a "devastating effect on young people in the job market.” There are many reasons for youth unemployment; the minimum wage is not among them.

The legislation has a problem: It seeks to partially overturn what voters approved in 2006. While the Arizona Constitution allows alterations to initiatives, that can be done only by a super-majority vote — and only if the change “furthers the purpose” of the initiative. Friend said this does not do that, and her organization would sue.

Hendrix does have a backup plan. He convinced committee members to also approve HCR2043, which would send the question to voters in November.

Both measures now go to the full House.

Incredibly, some of the Democrats on the committee said they are willing to consider some variant of what Hendrix wants. Have they been cowered by the GOP Taliban?

“I’m thinking more along the lines of high school students at 18 or under,” said Rep. Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix. “That just makes more sense to me, as the majority of them are not independently supporting themselves.”

Anyone older than that, he said, should be earning the same as anyone else.

That’s also the assessment of Rep. Robert Meza, D-Phoenix.

Where are our resistance fighters? Democrats represent the working men and women of this country. Any Democrat who would support undermining the minimum wage overwhelmingly approved by Arizona voters out of cowardice is no Democrat. We are at war with a ruthless enemy. Fight back!