Brown Supports Potatoes & Washington's Minimum Wage

Brown Supports Potatoes & Washington's Minimum Wage

Brown Supports Potatoes & Washington's Minimum Wage. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Washington State already has the highest minimum wage in the nation at $9.47. The state House voted yesterday on whether or not to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour. The legislation, House Bill 1355, would raise the minimum wage over a four-year period in a series of 50-cent hikes. Debates was sometimes funny, sometimes poignant and other times heated as in the words of Representative Manweller from Ellensburg.

MANWELLER: Unlike carbon for instance, if the price of labor goes up I've been told repeatedly today that people will buy just as much of it. You will not buy less labor even if the price of labor goes up 30%.

House Bill 1355 passed on a 51 - 46 vote.

New Oregon Governor Kate Brown met with farmers outside the state Capitol Monday. She addressed the current low levels of snowpack in the state and stressed the importance of the potato industry. Farmers also shared concerns about issues surrounding the Port of Portland. One farmer said his profits were down about 25 percent this year, because of delays in shipping out of the port. In addition to the governors comments, a rally was held on the Capitol steps to celebrate the potato, and thank farmers for their hard work. Farmers also donated thousands of pounds of potatoes and onions, to help feed hungry families in Oregon.

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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