Minimum Wage Initiatives Motivate Voters, Study Finds

[L. Coyote]

I would enjoy seeing a study of this from the inception of minimum wage initiative petition drives. The first in history was filed in Oregon in 1988 by J. Q. Jacobs, and the same year the first to make the ballot was in Washington. In 1989, the Oregon legislature passed the highest minimum wage in the nation at $4.75. Eighteen years later, the federal rate is barely higher. These drives have enjoyed real success and popular support. Hopefully more will follow to raise the very deficient federal rate.

Wage Initiatives Motivate Voters, Study Finds
By Jessica Benton Cooney | 1:53 PM; Feb. 22, 2007 | http://www.cqpolitics.com/2007/02/wage_initiatives_motivate_vote.html

"Ballot initiatives for increasing the minimum wage boosted voter motivation in five targeted states in 2006, according to research conducted by the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC), a non-profit organization that promotes ballot measures favoring liberal causes.

Voter motivation and reported interest in the election was disproportionately high among Democratic base voters, African-Americans, unmarried voters and women — especially where minimum wage initiatives were in play — according to polling conducted for BISC in Missouri, Ohio, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada by Lake Research Partners, a Democratic polling firm.

BISC executive director Kristina Wilfore said minimum wage initiative states were targeted by the group in anticipation of highly competitive races, and because of requests for BISC’s assistance from activists on the ground....."