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Raise the Kansas Wage--House
The Kansas minimum wage of $2.65 an hour is disgracefully low and should be raised to match the national level. According to the Department of Labor, there are now at least 17,000 Kansas workers who are covered by the absurdly low Kansas minimum wage rather than by the federal minimum.
A job should keep you out of poverty, not in poverty. It is time, at long last, for the Kansas legislature to act.
On February 19th, the Kansas Senate voted 33 to 7 to increase the state minimum wage from $2.65 to $7.25 per hour. Senate Bill 160 has been referred to the House side and we expect that it will be heard in the Commerce & Labor Committee on Thursday, March 5th at 9am.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Raise the Wage
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
The Kansas minimum wage of $2.65 an hour is disgracefully low and should be raised to match the national level. According to the Department of Labor, there are now at least 17,000 Kansas workers who are covered by the absurdly low Kansas minimum wage rather than by the federal minimum.
I believe a job should keep you out of poverty, not in poverty.
I call upon the Kansas legislature to raise the state the State Minimum Wage to the National Level!
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
February 26, 2009
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The Kansas Senate has already passed SB 160 to raise the Kansas minimum wage from $2.65 per hour to match the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
The American Dream has always meant that if you work hard, you will be able to have a decent standard of living. In Kansas, we promote a strong work ethic and we value the ideals presented by the American Dream.
Kansas’ state minimum wage is $2.65 per hour. Kansas has the lowest minimum wage in the country. federal rate.
The Kansas Department of Labor says that 17,000 Kansans make less than $6.55 an hour.
Our state minimum wage is set so low it allows employers to legally pay a rate that keeps people in extreme poverty.* For a single mother to earn wages that just meet the federal poverty guideline for herself and two children ($17,170) at the state minimum wage, she would have to work almost 18 hours per day, every day of the year!
When workers are not able to support themselves and their families due to low wage rates, taxpayers pay the price in food stamps, child care fees, child and adult health care, housing subsidies, and transportation assistance.
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