Workers Are the Heart of New Mexico

Minimum Wage Legislation Sponsors to Hold Valentine’s Day Press Conference themed “Workers Are the Heart of New Mexico” on New Economic Study

 When: Thursday, February 14, 2013 – 10:30 AM

Where: East Concourse, in front of New Mexico State Capitol entrance

SANTA FE – Minimum wage legislation sponsors Senator Bill Soules (D, Dona Ana, Dist. 37) and Senator Richard Martinez (D, Rio Arriba, Dist. 5) will be joined by small business owner Julia Castro and economist Gerry Bradley to highlight a new report revealing the positive economic benefits of raising New Mexico’s minimum wage. Following the event, participants will deliver Valentine’s Day messages to legislators, reminding everyone that “workers are the heart of New Mexico” and deserving of fair pay for hard work.

Included in the economic analysis are highlights of the raise’s estimated generation of $67 million in added Gross Domestic Product and the creation of 590 new jobs in New Mexico. In addition, economic reports have debunked claims regarding employment or job flight to surrounding areas. Currently 137,000 New Mexican workers make less than $8.50 and would benefit from the raise.

“We can all agree that hard working New Mexicans deserve fair pay,” said Senator Bill Soules, sponsor of SB416. “This report, along with many other studies, proves the positive economic benefits that this law will provide for our economy and New Mexico families.”

On Tuesday night, President Barack Obama announced an initiative to raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00, but New Mexican leaders aren’t standing by while New Mexico lags behind nearly every other state in job growth. Thus far, bills have been introduced by Senators Bill Soules and Richard Martinez, Representative Miguel Garcia (D, Bernalillo, Dist. 14), and Representative Phillip Archuleta (D, Dona Ana, Dist. 36).

“Forty dollars a week for everyday New Mexicans would provide more than half of what most households pay for groceries,” said Senator Martinez. “Nobody who works full-time should be forced to live in poverty, barely scraping by to feed their children and afford necessities like rent, transportation or child care.” An estimated 95,700 New Mexican children live in households where at least one parent earns the minimum wage.

The economic report referenced can be accessed at http://www.nmvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/state-min-wage-2013.pdf.