Last week, Representative Kim Williams introduced legislation that seems to be co-sponsored by every other Democrat, or a whole bunch of them anyway, and there is good reason why: the bill would repeal the training and youth wages, created last year as a key part of the compromise that enabled lawmakers to pass the capital bond bill. That compromise came about because the Republicans were pissed last June 30 that the General Assembly was going to pass a minimum wage increase on the last day of the session, and so they took the Capital Bond bill and Grant in Aid bill hostage. Authorities were able to get the gun out of the Republican criminal’s hand by saying they would create a training and youth wage rates whereby evil Republicans can still employ children and trainees at low low wages.
When Matthew Albright heard of this, a fainting couch was placed behind him:
Once again, the media ignores Republican bad faith. The Republicans reacted in bad faith last year, forcing the Democrats to pay a ransom in order to get the Bond and Grant in Aid bills passed! Who the fuck cares if the Republican hostage takers are now displeased? I hope they are. Their tears are delicious.
So back to this bill, it removes the training minimum wage, which will take effect 90 days after the bill’s enactment, and youth minimum wage, which takes effect January 1, 2020.
Where is the bill? House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce 1/24/19
Democratic Sponsors — K.Williams, Walsh, Longhurst, Heffernan, Kowalko, Osienski, Brown, Ennis, Hansen, Lockman, McBride, McDowell, Paradee, Poore, Sokola, Sturgeon, Townsend, Baumbach, Bennett, Bentz, Bolden, Brady, Carson, Chukwuocha, Cooke, Dorsey Walker, Griffith, Jaques, K. Johnson, Lynn, Matthews, Minor-Brown, Mitchell, Seigfried, Viola
Republican Sponsors — None
Yes Votes —
No Votes —
I love how the media is completely ignoring the hostage situation last year and painting the GOP as the victims here. Did Dems try to ram it through at the last minute? Well, sort of. They tried to get it through multiple times last year, but for one reason or another out of a dozen, they were not able to strike the deal until the last day. If the GOP had the majority, you bet your butt they would do the same with their ultrasound bills and RGGI killers. They knew this was going to happen, which is why they should have not acted in, as you say, such bad faith with the hostage negotiation last year with the bond bill.
Will this imoact our ability to work together and get other bipartisan legislation done? Well, given how the national GOP has been acting with their incessant temper tantrums, probably.
Let me refresh Mr. Albright’s flawed memory. There was “NO” I repeat “NO” bargain/compromise struck. Ramone, with the support of his Republican colleagues, crafted a blackmail/extortion plan that forced this horrible bill to a vote. I voted NO and advised my colleagues that I would be willing to return after June 30th into September (if necessary) to pass the Bond bill without despoiling the minimum wage bill. Some might have seen this concession (voting for Ramone’s bill) by Dems. as a failure in leadership to adequately prepare for such a circumstance or simply a lack of backbone by leadership. I would be hard pressed to defend anyone against such charges. I am sick and tired of the gnashing of teeth and the plaintive wailing of the corporate community ideologues and their political water carriers that anyone has breeched any agreement, especially when such an agreement was never made and was foisted upon other (not UN-willing) public servants who refuse to consider their obligations to the people as paramount. So spare me the soul-searching repentance served up by the Republicans or their dupes in the media. Spare me the half-hearted/witted apologies of those who voted for self-convenience over concern for the hardworking needy and bring the damn bill out of committee and to the floor for a vote.
Representative John Kowalko