By Wesley Brown
Talk Business & Politics, November 6, 2018
Arkansans strongly backed all three of the constitutional amendments that made this year’s ballot, which were measures requiring voters to show ID at the polls, raise the state minimum wage standards to $11 an hour and turning the Natural State’s low-key gaming operations into a high-stakes, tax revenue-generating gambling enterprise. ...
MINIMUM WAGE HIKE
Similarly, returns showed that Arkansans overwhelmingly supported Issue 5, which would increase the state minimum wage in Arkansas for most workers in the state from $8.50 per hour to $11 per hour by 2021. Several Arkansas business owners that supported the minimum wage hike cheered Tuesday’s approval of Issue 5, which had nearly 69% or 421,000 of the 617,000 votes cast by 11 p.m.
“I’ve seen firsthand how paying fair wages is good for business. It’s why I support raising Arkansas’ minimum wage,” Capi Peck, Owner of Trio’s Restaurant in Little Rock. “Our low turnover is invaluable from a bottom line and customer service perspective. Increasing the minimum wage will give needed raises to workers who will then have more to spend as customers.”
Added Meg Sebastian, CEO of Sebastian Tech Solutions in Jonesboro: “As one of the few defense contractors here in Jonesboro, my goal is to bring jobs here by building a defense and technology sector in Jonesboro. If we want Arkansas to have more STEM jobs and encourage companies to invest and reinvest in our state for the long term, we need to have a strong, productive workforce – and raising the minimum wage is a key building block.” ...