There should be a law that all politicians with authority to vote on economic issues be required to take an Econ 101 class at a local university.
Idaho’s $7.25 minimum wage could swell to $12 an hour, and two out of three Latah County commissioners support the 60 percent raise.
The Boise-based group Idahoans for a Fair Wage is collecting signatures to get a minimum wage initiative on the November 2020 ballot.
It would raise the wage, which has remained stagnant the past 10 years, to $8.75 in 2021, then $1 more each of the following two years before topping out at $12 in 2024.
The wage would then be tied to the consumer price index and rise when the cost of living rises.
The measure would also increase the minimum wage for tipped employees and eliminate the minimum wage rate of $4.25 to employees younger than 20 during their first 90 days of employment.
Commissioner Dave McGraw, R-Troy, said the minimum wage should remain the same or increase slightly.
“I’m not a big supporter of raising the minimum wage,” he said. “I’m fine with the way it is.”
McGraw said minimum wage jobs are for high school students working a summer job, for example — not for those trying to pay large bills like a house payment.
He said businesses set their wages to remain competitive, not because a law tells them to pay a certain wage.
“I believe in a market-driven wage,” McGraw said.
He said if a restaurant cannot attract employees at $7.25 an hour, it needs to raise its wages.