(WWL.com)
The latest release from the 2019 Louisiana Survey shows 81% of Louisiana residents support raising the minimum wage to $8.50 an hour, from the current rate of $7.25. Director of LSU’s Public Policy Research Center Dr. Mike Henderson said the numbers indicates that not only is that a lot of support, but broad support for the increase.
“If you are getting that big of a majority, it means you have support among Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, and in deed it does. Even 72% of Republicans support that minimum wage,” said Henderson.
The $8.25 an hour proposal saw support among Democrats at 94% and Independents at 78%. Governor Edwards has been pushing for an increase in the minimum wage with the goal of the state minimum wage hitting $9 an hour by July 2020.
While support for the pay hike for minimum wage workers is there from the public, the state has yet to see that same support from lawmakers. Henderson said he would not bet on an increase passing this year.
“It is an election year, and the legislature tends to be a bit shyer on big policy changes in an election year, and as we’ve seen the last few times this proposal has come up, it tends to get shutdown in committee,” said Henderson.
Support for a hike dropped to 59% when proposing a $15 an hour minimum wage, with only Democrats maintaining majority support at 85%.
“What’s most interesting about that is that even though that is a majority, it is because Democrats really really really like it but Independents and Republicans, you know longer get a majority support there, so you are splitting opinion on that,” said Henderson.