story from Talk Business, a TCW content partner
Attorney General Dustin McDaniel (D) approved the ballot title for an effort to raise the minimum wage in Arkansas from $6.25 per hour to $8.50 per hour by 2017.
The “Act to Increase the Arkansas Minimum Wage” would be an initiated act – not a constitutional amendment – which requires a lower threshold for signature collection and allows the Arkansas General Assembly to modify aspects of the law if approved by voters.
The proposal outlines a three-year process for incrementally raising the state’s minimum wage.
If approved, the state minimum wage would increase from $6.25 per hour to $7.50 per hour on Jan. 1, 2015, to $8 per hour on Jan. 1, 2016, and to $8.50 per hour on Jan. 1, 2017.
“Having analyzed your proposed act, as well as your proposed popular name and ballot title under the above precepts, it is my conclusion that the ballot title and popular name are sufficient as submitted. They are therefore hereby certified as submitted,” McDaniel’s opinion said.
Give Arkansas a Raise Now, which submitted the ballot proposal, now has until July 7 to gather more than 62,000 valid voter signatures in order to qualify for the Nov. 4 general election ballot.