As momentum gathers for a “living wage” across the country, one Minnesota gubernatorial hopeful is bucking the trend.
On the campaign trail for the Republican nomination, Scott Honour announced that not only does he oppose increasing the minimum wage, he’s also in favor of freezing the current rate. On Aug. 1, the state bumped the minimum wage from $7.25 to $8 an hour.
In an interview with The Daily Signal, Honour explained that he opposes increasing the minimum wage because it “would decrease the number of jobs available.”
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The Minnesota Republican fears an increase in the minimum wage would harm “young people looking to get a start in life.”
Surveying the political landscape, Honour says cities like Seattle and Oakland have failed to grasp “classic supply-and-demand economics” and warns that they will likely “be worse off” for their decision to mandate a higher wage.
Seattle and Oakland ‘will be worse off’ for hiking minimum wage, says @ScottHonourMN.
Instead, Honour said he supports a free-enterprise approach to economics where “the market drives wages up because of strong growth.”
A newcomer to campaigns, Honour made a name for himself in business. The candidate described how he first worked his way through college by holding several part-time jobs. He then got his start in the finance world.
Now, he wants to bring the same success to Minnesotans.
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In addition to freezing the minimum wage, Honour said he wants to reform state regulatory and tax systems, as well as making Minnesota a right-to-work state.
Minnesota Democrats, including incumbent governor Mark Dayton, remain vehemently opposed to those ideas. Ahead of Tuesday’s primary, the state’s Democratic Party has charged that Honour is “out of touch” dubbing him, “Minnesota Mitt” after the failed GOP presidential candidate.
Honour isn’t listening, though.
He said his success in business “is quite relevant to what’s needed in Minnesota government today.”
