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