Republican gubernatorial nominee Asa Hutchinson, who had opposed a ballot measure to raise the state's minimum wage, said Friday that he now plans to vote for the initiative on the November ballot.
A few other Republican candidates for statewide or federal office said they also back the measure, which would gradually raise the minimum hourly rate from $6.25 to $8.50 by Jan. 1, 2017.
The GOP's U.S. Senate nominee and U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton of Dardanelle, lieutenant governor nominee and U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin of Little Rock, and U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of Jonesboro said that they'll vote for the ballot measure, too.
Democrats on Friday criticized their Republican opponents for waiting so long to support the proposal championed by Give Arkansas a Raise Now.
The Republican support suggests that the ballot measure is popular with voters, said Janine Parry, a professor of political science at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
But in a political "environment this noisy, dominated by national messaging, I suspect anyone's position on this single issue will do little to determine the outcome of any one race," said Parry, who is director of the Arkansas Poll.
State Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, who's also the GOP nominee for the 4th Congressional District seat, said through a spokesman that he'll vote against raising the minimum wage.
"Nothing has changed my position on the ballot initiative or President [Barack] Obama's $10.10 minimum wage proposal," Westerman said in a written statement. "Neither does anything to reduce the 9.4 [percent] unemployment in the Fourth District."
Republican 2nd Congressional District nominee and banker French Hill of Little Rock said through a spokesman that he "will vote for the Arkansas minimum-wage increase if he can ensure it doesn't negatively impact Arkansas jobs."
Hill said "the Obama economy is squeezing the middle class, and we need to move beyond minimum-wage jobs and start building careers, opportunities and real choices for all Arkansans."
Westerman's Democratic opponent, James Lee Witt of Dardanelle, a former official in President Bill Clinton's administration, and Hill's opponent, former North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Henry Hays, have said they support the initiative.
The secretary of state's office said Wednesday that the group had turned in enough signatures to gain a spot on the general election ballot.
If voters approve the ballot measure, it would increase the state's minimum wage from $6.25 to $7.50 an hour on Jan. 1; to $8 on Jan. 1, 2016; and to $8.50 on Jan. 1, 2017.
The Legislature last increased the state's minimum wage in 2006, raising it from $5.15 to $6.25 an hour.
Hutchinson, who has said in the past few months that he supports the Legislature raising the state's minimum wage to at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, explained Friday in a written statement that "even though it is not the ideal way to raise the rate, I will vote for the initiative because it is in line with the main objective of raising the minimum wage rate in Arkansas, which I have consistently supported."
"I expressed support for raising the minimum wage when Mike Ross was non-committal on it," said Hutchinson, a former 3rd District congressman and federal homeland security undersecretary.
Hutchinson said that he's seen "no studies that indicate there would be any job loss [from the measure], and so I am confident that the Arkansas economy can handle the phased-in wage rate increase."
He previously said he opposed the proposed ballot measure partly because, once approved by voters, it would take a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to change the minimum wage in the future.
In mid-December, Hutchinson said the minimum wage needs to be increased by the Legislature in an amount "based upon economic factors." At that time, Ross spokesman Brad Howard said Ross would review the proposal "once it is certified and placed on the ballot."
But in April, Ross announced his support for the proposed initiated act. Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor of Little Rock, who is being challenged by Cotton, had endorsed it in February.
Howard said Friday that Hutchinson voted against raising the federal minimum wage multiple times in Congress and is "now flip-flopping" on the ballot measure.
"This is just the latest example of Congressman Hutchinson doing one thing in Washington for his Wall Street allies and saying something completely different to the people of Arkansas in a desperate attempt to win an election," Howard said in a written statement.
Hutchinson spokesman J.R. Davis said Ross has "flip-flopped" himself -- on abortion. And while Hutchinson had publicly spoken out against the minimum-wage ballot measure, Davis said, the Republican candidate had never revealed what his vote would be.
Also Friday, Cotton told a Little Rock radio show that he'll vote for the proposed initiated act to raise the minimum wage "as a citizen."
"But as Arkansas' next United States senator, I am going to make sure that we have a health economy -- not the kind of minimum-wage economy that Barack Obama and Mark Pryor have created," Cotton told Alice Stewart, the show's host and a former spokesman for former Gov. Mike Huckabee.
In a statement Pryor spokesman Erik Dorey questioned Cotton's commitment.
"Congressman Cotton clearly just read the political tea leaves and decided the best thing for his political ambitions is to tepidly support this ballot measure," Dorey said.
Griffin said he'll vote for the ballot measure to raise the minimum wage as well.
"I think this is an issue for each state to decide and I think the Arkansas proposal is a lot smarter than the Obama minimum wage proposal in Washington," Griffin said in a written statement.
Griffin's Democratic opponent, businessman John Burkhalter of Little Rock, said Friday that he signed the petition to get the measure on the ballot, and his support for the minimum wage increase is unwavering "unlike my opponent who just came out in support of the minimum-wage increase because it was politically expedient."
Crawford said in written statement that he'll be voting for the measure to raise the minimum wage for Arkansas workers.
"While there is always a concern that government-mandated increases can lead to job losses and price increases for consumers, the graduated increase over the next three years in this proposal likely will not result in significant job losses," Crawford said.
Crawford's Democratic opponent, Hot Springs Mayor Jackie McPherson, said he's "very happy that Congressman Crawford has finally come around on the minimum wage initiative."
"I endorsed Give Arkansas a Raise very soon after entering this race because I truly believe that the hard working men and women of Arkansas deserve to earn a liveable wage," McPherson said in a written statement.
Metro on 09/06/2014