House Journal: Page 426: Thursday, February 15, 2001
I am disappointed that Republican lawmakers have refused to pass legislation that
will raise the minimum wage for the more than 100,000 Iowans who work for $5.15 an
hour. The bipartisan Governor's Strategic Planning Council recognized and recom-
mended that we work together to increase wages and incomes of all Iowans - including
raising Iowa's minimum wage.
This inaction by Republican lawmakers is especially curious and disappointing
since they passed legislation this week that raises the wages of their high school
student pages from minimum wage to $7.17 an hour. Being a page in the legislature
provides high school students with an educational opportunity to learn about
government first hand. While pages deserve a raise in wages, I believe all people who
earn the minimum wage deserve a raise. I am profoundly disappointed that
Republican lawmakers are ignoring my proposal for increasing the state's minimum
wage from $5.15 an hour to $6.15 an hour over the next two years.
I am disappointed the Legislature appears to be unwilling to set a living wage
threshold for employers that obtain financial assistance from the State. This initiative
would require that employers receiving economic development assistance from the
state must pay a "living wage" to their workers. A "living wage" would support a
family of four with only one full-time worker above the federal poverty level. In Iowa,
the "living wage" today is $8.20 per hour - an annual wage of $17,056.
For Iowa to grow and expand economically, Iowa must set itself apart from other
states. We need to promote the quality of life Iowa has to offer. We need to promote
the hard working, conscientious people that employers can hire. We need to promote
Iowa's excellent educational system and Iowa's worker training opportunities. This is
what makes Iowa special. This is why Iowa is a smart place for business.
With the disposition of this bill, the Lieutenant Governor and I are hopeful that
Republican lawmakers will stop their focus on partisan issues and turn their attention
to serious matter of meeting the needs of Iowa's families. With an increasingly tight
state budget, it is time to start working together in a bipartisan manner to improve
learning opportunities for children by recruiting, retaining, and respecting quality
teachers. We also need to focus on protecting our most vulnerable Iowans from abuse,
and supporting efforts to raise the incomes of all Iowans.
For the above reasons, I hereby respectfully disapprove House File 103.
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Vilsack
Governor
CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION
MR. SPEAKER: The Chief Clerk of the House respectfully reports
that certificates of recognition have been issued as follows.
MARGARET A. THOMSON
Chief Clerk of the House
© 2001 Cornell College and
League of Women Voters of Iowa
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