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One to Keep An Eye On: Issue 5 (Arkansas)


As with many employment and labor law related cases (and bills) being litigated around the country, there are always a few that stand out.  This is one to keep an eye on.


Tomorrow, voters in Arkansas will have final say (as many have already cast their vote during early voting) in regard to Issue 5 which seeks to raise the state's minimum wage rate up to $11/hour by 2021.  (The current hourly wage rate is $8.50).  Tomorrow's vote on Issue 5 follows an August announcement by the Arkansas Secretary of State that enough valid signatures had been collected to place the matter before voters.

Some readers might recall that voters in the state had previously approved a prior hike to the state's minimum wage rate back in 2014.  That raised the minimum wage rate above the federal level of $7.25/hour to its current rate of $8.50/hour.

Of course, readers might remember that voters in Missouri will also be deciding on a similar minimum wage hike proposal, Proposition B, tomorrow.  At this point, there appears to be support for both measures.  If I were a betting man, I would expect that the vote in Arkansas might be closer than Missouri.

Stay tuned.


For additional information:  https://www.vox.com/2018/10/22/17999976/missouri-arkansas-minimum-wage-ballot-measures

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