In the second of this special series leading up to Election Day on Nov. 8, WTV’s Parker Butler takes a look at this year’s election and why it should matter to students. The focus of this second installment: the minimum wage policy of presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

 

The federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour, and while the percent of teenage minimum wage earners has dropped in recent decades, it remains true that most minimum wage earners are relatively young. While young people are notorious for their lack of attention to politics, when it comes to how much they earn at a job whether they’re working for extra income or living on their own, young people know the struggle. Unsurprisingly, both presidential candidates have very different view on this issue.

The minimum wage in Texas is the same as the federal, so any increase approved by either candidate will directly affect almost half a million Texans and thousands of businesses

When it comes to wages, the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has made clear that she is for raising it on the federal level. This position was shaped by her primary opponent, Bernie Sanders, who believed a $15 federal minimum wage was necessary. Clinton argued that while it should be raised, it should not go to $15 like Sanders suggested, noting the importance of wage differences in different cities & states.

“We need to raise the federal minimum wage back to the highest it’s ever been in this country and make sure it keeps rising over time,” Clinton said.

Donald Trump’s position has evolved since he’s come under fire from labor unions and others for saying this: [wages too high clip]. But, a month later, he tweeted: [no raise. BAD. tweet] Eventually he signalled that he would be willing to raise the federal minimum wage in exchange for another policy goal but ultimately would like to leave the increase up to the states.

As the election gets closer, Liberty Wingspan will bring more videos comparing the two candidates on various issues. Reporting for Wingspan TV, I’m Parker Butler