Blog Posts

Some political strategists seem to think a $20 minimum wage is a winning campaign issue. Apparently they aren’t paying attention to what’s happening in some of the nation’s highest wage markets, like Colorado and California. Political strategist James Carville recently penned a New York Times essay calling for…

As the year comes to a close, states and cities are bracing for a new round of minimum wage hikes that will take effect in the New Year. More than 20 states and 80 cities and counties will increase their wage floors this year. The sky is the limit on…

As 2025 comes to a close, states and cities are already gearing up for a new wave of minimum wage proposals that could negatively impact local economies in the year ahead. From coast to coast, policymakers are pushing ambitious mandates that go far beyond what most regions have ever attempted.

Santa Fe was one of the first cities in the country to adopt a local minimum wage ordinance, and in many ways it became the early test case for the policy’s unintended consequences. Now that city lawmakers have approved yet another wage hike up to $17.50, this trend…

Election Day brought mixed results for minimum wage ballot measures across the country. In Olympia, WA, residents voted against a proposed $20 minimum wage hike, which came as part of a larger package of extensive labor mandates. The vote reflects a growing awareness of the strain wage increases have…

This isn’t the first time unions have tried to smear California’s fast food industry in an effort to push their broader organizing agenda. Each time, the claims make headlines, but the evidence quickly falls apart under scrutiny. The latest union-funded study – provocatively titled Rats, Roaches, & Rot: Worker…

With Virginia’s governor’s race heating up, the $15 minimum wage is getting some extra attention. But lawmakers interested in trying out this policy should look at the consequences of high-wage policies in neighboring Maryland and Virginia. Let’s rewind. Virginia lawmakers approved a series of wage hikes in 2020, spiking the…

Over the past decade, New York has been a testing ground for some of the country’s most aggressive wage policies. Governors and lawmakers have repeatedly floated sky-high minimum wage hike proposals that push the state far beyond national norms, and even the rate of state inflation. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo…

Colorado’s minimum wage is on a fast climb. Since voters approved the creation of a statewide minimum wage in 2007, the rate has risen each year, pushing Colorado toward some of the highest minimum wages in the nation. Government data shows a majority of the state’s restaurants are small businesses,…

Earlier this week, Florida’s minimum wage jumped to $14 an hour, the latest step in a law passed by voters that will bring the minimum wage to $15 by 2026. Supporters promised this steady climb would lift up workers and help families keep pace with rising costs. However, just a…