Montana I-151 (2006)
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Montana Initiative No. 151 (or I-151) appeared on the November 2006 ballot in Montana as a citizen initiative, where it was approved.[1]
- Yes: 285,535
- No: 107,294[2]
Impact
It proposed raising Montana's minimum wage to the greater of either $6.15 per hour or the federal minimum wage. The measure also added an annual cost-of-living adjustment to the state minimum wage.
Under the previous law, Montana's minimum wage was equal to the federal minimum wage, which was $5.15 an hour with no cost of living adjustment.[3]
Support
The initiative was supported by Raise Montana. They argued that the existing minimum wage rate was insufficient to cover the cost of living and that a raise was "fair," "right" and long overdue. [4] They also argued that over twenty states had already increased their minimum wage with no negative effect on their state's businesses.[5]
Opposition
The official argument for the opposition was prepared by Riley Johnson of NFIB/Montana, Brad Griffin of the Montana Retail Association, Webb Brown of the Montana Chamber of Commerce and Merisa Saunders. They called the dollar per hour wage increase was a "Trojan Horse that [hid] the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase," claiming the proponents of I-151 had slipped in an annual inflation factor that would "cripple small businesses." They also called the measure "mandated inflation," arguing that "when faced with automatic pay hikes, business owners will be forced to increase prices every year."[6]
See also
- List of Montana ballot measures
- Procedures for qualifying an initiative in Montana
- Laws governing the initiative process in Montana
- Montana Initiative and Referendum Law
- Campaign finance requirements for Montana ballot measures
- Montana 2006 ballot measures
- Montana signature requirements
External links
- Ballot Issues Montana Secretary of State's Website
- 2006 Ballot Measures: I-151 Full text of I-151
References
- ↑ Montana 2006 Election Results
- ↑ 2006 Ballot Issues, Montana Secretary of State's Website 2006 ballot measure results
- ↑ 2006 Ballot Measures: I-151
- ↑ Secretary of State: Arguments for I-151
- ↑ Secretary of State: Arguments against I-151
- ↑ Secretary of State: Arguments against I-151
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