Yet Another Nod to Rep. Neil Hansen

HB114 stalls in House committee

By Curmudgeon

Yet another nod to Rep. Neil Hansen {D-Ogden). He's introduced a bill in the legislature to "to give annual cost of living increases to the state's lowest-paid workers - those making minimum wage.... Rep. Ben Ferry, R-Corinne, asked Hansen why he wanted to separate Utah from the federal system. "Several states have different minimum wages higher than the federal standard," Hansen replied. "In fairness to those making minimum wage - some are trying to provide for families - and inflation rises but the minimum wage does not."

Of course, in the Republican-controlled House Business and Labor Committee, Hansen's bill didn't have a chance. The Majority members took enough time away from attending Jazz games on free tickets provided by lobbiests, and from stuffing their craws at up-scale eateries, with businesses groups picking up the tab, to kill Hansen's bill in committee. What a surprise. Next time the boys are off on a golfing trip paid for by business lobbyists, they can all discuss how awful it is that those making minimum wage expect handouts like cost of living adjustments. Buncha damn commies, clearly. However, when the legislators consider yet another legislative pay raise, as they will, we will hear from them about how the cost of living keeps going up, so they need a boost in pay. The committee adjourned without acting on it, only two members objecting.

Good on Hansen, yet again. Tilting at windmills in the right-wing-nut dominated Republican Utah House, of course, but its worth making the effort and exposing their hypocrisies.

The story is in today's Salt Lake Trib.