85R10728 BPG-D     By: Alonzo H.C.R. No. 73       CONCURRENT RESOLUTION          WHEREAS, The federal minimum wage was established at the   height of the Great Depression, through the Fair Labor Standards   Act of 1938, to keep working Americans out of poverty and stimulate   the economy by increasing purchasing power; and          WHEREAS, Since 1968, the real value of the federal minimum   wage has declined by about 25 percent because there is no automatic,   annual cost-of-living adjustment; across the country, 29 states and   the District of Columbia have adopted a higher minimum wage to help   workers keep up with inflation, and in 2016, 25 states approved new   minimum wage increases, according to the National Employment Law   Project; in addition, 18 cities and counties approved such hikes;   and          WHEREAS, The Texas minimum wage has remained at the federal   rate of $7.25 per hour since 2009; a worker with a full-time,   year-round minimum-wage job brings home only $15,080 annually,   leaving a family of three to struggle below the poverty line, unable   to afford the average two-bedroom apartment; and          WHEREAS, Of the top 10 growth occupations for the next   decade, as projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6 are   low-wage jobs, including home health aides, customer service   representatives, food preparation and service workers, personal   and home care aides, retail salespersons, and office clerks;   raising the minimum wage would improve pay scales for millions of   men and women in these positions; and          WHEREAS, Higher wages stimulate the economy by increasing   consumer spending without adding to state and federal budget   deficits; consumer spending drives 70 percent of the economy, and   growing demand energizes production and hiring; moreover, research   has documented that raising wages benefits employers by enhancing   productivity while reducing turnover and the related costs of   recruitment, restaffing, and training; and          WHEREAS, Cost-of-living analyses show that almost everywhere   in the United States, even a single low-wage worker needs to make at   least $15 an hour to cover basic living costs, and in some   communities and regions, workers supporting families require much   more; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby express support for a $15 per hour minimum wage.