Oh really?
http://www.omaha.com/...
If elected governor this fall, Pete Ricketts wants to help those Nebraskans struggling to make ends meet while working low-paying jobs.
But raising the state’s minimum hourly wage isn’t the best way to do so, the Republican candidate said.
“A minimum wage increase will hurt most the people it is intended to help — like those who work in small-town restaurants and cafes,” the Omahan said Friday afternoon in an interview with the Norfolk Daily News.
While Ricketts said he recognizes the importance of allowing Nebraskans to have the opportunity to vote on the issue in November, it’s also important to recognize that a minimum wage increase will raise payroll costs significantly for many employers.
The $2 a week increase proposed in the ballot issue over two years would increase a full-time employees wages by about $4,000 a year. If the owner of a small business has 10 employees, that’s an additional $40,000 or so a year. - Omaha World-Herald, 8/23/14
Of course Ricketts isn't the only one repeating this mantra:
http://www.omaha.com/...
If the election was held today, Gov. Dave Heineman says, he would vote against a ballot issue that would hike Nebraska's minimum wage to $9 an hour.
During a conference call Monday morning, the conservative Republican said he prefers to follow the federal minimum wage, as the state has done in the past, rather than establish a separate wage for Nebraska.
“We’ve avoided the divisiveness of that issue, and that’s a better way to go,” Heineman said.
Nebraska voters will get a chance to vote in the Nov. 4 general election on an initiative that would raise the state’s minimum wage from the current $7.25 per hour to $9 per hour in two steps. It would raise the minimum wage to $8 an hour for 2015, with the next step kicking in on Jan. 1, 2016.
The state has traditionally followed the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 per hour. However, 22 states, including neighboring Missouri and Colorado, have set a higher state minimum wage. - Omaha World-Herald, 8/25/14
here's the real reason Republicans in Nebraska are afraid of the ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage:
http://www.omaha.com/...
A minimum-wage hike initiative that appears poised to go on Nebraska’s fall ballot might be a perfect wedge issue for the state’s Democratic candidates.
It also will likely prompt more young and low-income workers to go to the polls, which could boost Democratic prospects.
“There are Democratic political operatives in this state who can’t wipe the smile off their face as they think about using this issue to turn out voters in the fall,” said Chris Peterson, a Republican political operative who has talked with a few Democrats about the issue. “They’re giddy about it. They couldn’t be happier.”
Several Democrats who spoke on the record were more circumspect. They acknowledged the ballot initiative would likely increase voter turnout among young voters — who are traditionally more Democratic — but they said there was no guarantee those voters would favor the Democratic slate.
“The candidate of either party should not take those votes for granted,” said State Sen. Jeremy Nordquist, a Democrat from Omaha who helped lead the petition drive to put the issue on the Nov. 4 ballot. - Omaha World-Herald, 7/6/14
While there's been limited polling in this race, this race has turned out to be tighter than most people thought:
http://nebraskaradionetwork.com/...
A few polls have emerged on the Nebraska gubernatorial race, apparently a closer race than many expected.
Republican Pete Ricketts, the former TD Ameritrade executive, leads, but not by much.
“Well, I think if the polls are right, it’s good to be up, but again there’s nothing to be complacent about,” Ricketts tells Nebraska Radio Network. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. My opponent is a smart, savvy guy and I expect him to be a tough opponent.”
That opponent is Democrat Chuck Hassebrook, the former Executive Director of the Center for Rural Affairs. He expects the race to tighten.
“For most of the summer, people aren’t real focused on the gubernatorial election,” Hassebrook tells Nebraska Radio Network. “But starting especially in September they will be and that is when it will be critical for us to get a clear and compelling message out to voters.”
A Rasmussen Reports public opinion poll seems typical of the few polls that have been taken on the race. Rasmussen in mid-May released a public opinion poll from 750 likely Nebraska voters which gave Ricketts a 47-40% lead over Hassebrook. - Nebraska Radio Network, 8/21/14
Along with raising the minimum wage, Hassebrook has been running ion immigration reform, expanding Medicaid and prison reform. PPP showed this race a while back looking competitive and the minimum wage increase ballot initiative will help Hassebrook with voter turnout. I think we can pull off a surprise victory here. Click here to donate and get involved with Hassebrook's campaign:
http://www.chuckhassebrook.com/