Progressives cheered when California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed legislation last week raising the state’s minimum wage from $8 to $10, effective beginning in 2016. While it’s a step in the right direction — and one that the federal government should follow suit in — California’s wage hike only scratches the surface of what state and federal policymakers should be doing to improve conditions for low-wage workers. And given that women make up two-thirds of all minimum wage workers, there is a deeper need for policymakers to address the multiple economic challenges women face.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=204460