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Indiana Coalition Calls For Higher Minimum Wage

Leonld Domnister
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/ldrhcp/

A coalition of Indiana groups rallied outside the Indiana Statehouse Monday calling for an increase in the state’s minimum wage.

Indiana Institute for Working Families Senior Policy Analyst Derek Thomas says the current $7.25 an hour is far from enough needed to support families.

Thomas says $10.10 an hour is more in line with what the number should be when inflation dating to 1968 is considered.

Thomas says the rise in poverty affects everyone, including the middle class, members of which are also feeling the pinch.

“Inequality isn’t just an issue that affects impoverished and low-income families, it affects the middle class,” Thomas says. “We show poverty rises, low-income rises and then the middle class starts to shrink so this affects everyone. Everyone should be concerned.”

Thomas also cites numbers showing the super wealthy have seen wage growth in the past four decades, whereas most Americans have not.

“We do know that most of the wealth is going towards the top wealthy or towards the most wealthy Hoosiers so we really need to level the playing field,” Thomas says.

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