Maryland Juice previously wrote about a Republican voter suppression strategy in Montgomery County. The new GOP majority on the county Board of Elections (MCBOE) attempted to eliminate two high-performing early vote locations in MoCo and replace them with locations in less densely populated neighborhoods that are (coincidentally) closer to Republicans. But last Thursday, the state Board of Elections (SBOE) rejected the MoCo Republican plan and directed the MCBOE to come up with a new proposal.
Today Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal reported on Facebook that MoCo's Republican Board of Elections chair is retreating on his voter suppression plan:
GEORGE LEVENTHAL: County Board of Elections Chair Jim Shalleck called to say the Board will restore both disputed early voting sites (Praisner & Lawton). Mr. Shalleck also said the Board would ask the state for a 10th early voting site in Potomac.
The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee also sent out the following press release:
*******BOE REINSTATES ORIGINAL 9 EARLY VOTING SITES******** Legislature Will Propose Adding One More Center
The Montgomery County Board of Elections (BOE) voted to reinstate 8 of the original early voting centers from the 2014 election and the Wheaton Firehouse to replace the Wheaton Community Center, which is undergoing rennovation. This includes the Praisner and Lawton centers advocated by the MCDCC, County Council, and State Legislators, as well as numerous community members and non-partisan community groups. The decision means that they will submit the 9 centers to the State BOE for approval at their special meeting on Friday October 23.
A critical part of this decision is that the MCDCC and State Delegation made a commitment to submit legislation at the beginning of the Legislative Session in January to add a 10th early voting center in Montgomery County for the 2016 election. The County Council also made a commitment to establish a 10th early voting center.
Although the decision by the Board today will not be final until it is approved by the State BOE, voters in Montgomery County should be pleased with the outcome.
We will be in touch after the State BOE meeting on Friday to report on the final decision.
WASHINGTON POST: The Republican majority on the Montgomery County Board of Elections, led by an appointee of Gov. Larry Hogan (R), voted Monday to shift two heavily used early-voting sites to less populous locations, prompting Democratic charges of voter suppression.
The board voted 3 to 2 to move early voting from the Marilyn Praisner Community Center in Burtonsville, which serves high-poverty East County communities along U.S. 29, to the Longwood Community Recreation Center in Brookeville, 13 miles to the northwest. The panel also shifted early balloting from the Jane Lawton Community Recreation Center in Chevy Chase, about a half-mile from the Bethesda Metro station, to the Potomac Community Recreation Center, on Falls Road, 10 miles to the northwest....
Notably, Jim Shalleck was the 2014 Republican candidate for Montgomery County Executive and formerly chaired the MoCo Republican Party. After listening to public testimony on Montgomery County's early vote locations, the MCBOE took a partly line vote (3-2) to close two early voting centers and replace them with locations closer to Republicans. The Montgomery County Republicans' proposal now heads to the five-member State Board of
Elections (SBOE) for a final vote on October 15th. Notably the SBOE also now has a Republican majority, but one more person has to
weigh in before this vote occurs: Linda Lamone, the State Administrator of the Board of Elections. Code of Maryland Regulation 33.17.02.02F states (excerpt below):
MARYLAND CODE: Upon
receipt of a form for a proposed early voting center, the State
Administrator shall review and make a recommendation to the State Board
as to whether to accept or reject the proposed early voting center....
Lamone could base a recommendation against the GOP's early voting proposal based on criteria listed
in state regulations, including provisions that polling locations be "served by public transportation and roads"
and have "parking facilities sufficient for early voting." Notably Lamone has served as Maryland's State Administrator since Governor Paris Glendening and previously
foiled an attempt by Republican Governor Bob Ehrlich to remove her from her position.
The provision that sites be "served by public transportation" could be problematic for the Republicans' proposal to close the Burtonsville site and replace it with one at the Longwood Community Recreation Center in Brookeville. Only one bus route serves the Brookeville site (Ride On Route 53, with a stop .3 miles from the polls), and
the bus only runs in the morning and evening on weekdays. Meanwhile, early voting is open all day.
If Lamone were to recommend against the early voting changes, it would take a super-majority of the SBOE to approve the Montgomery County Republicans' proposal. And if all else fails in stopping the Republican voter suppression effort, there is one final backstop: A few state legislators representing Montgomery County are contemplating legislation to increase the county's number of early voting sites from nine to eleven, using the two additional sites to restore polling locations in Chevy Chase and Burtonsville. The Washington Post's Bill Turque reported on this backstop legislation (excerpt below):
WASHINGTON POST: State Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery) said Wednesday that when the general Assembly reconvenes in January, he and Del. Eric Luedtke (D-Montgomery) will introduce a measure to expand the number of early voting sites in the county from nine to 11. The bill would restore the Marilyn Praisner Community Recreation Center in Burtonsville and the Jane Lawton Community Recreation Center in Chevy Chase to the list while retaining the two new sites selected by the board, Longwood Community Recreation Center in Brookeville and Potomac Community Recreation Center in Potomac....
[GOP MCBOE Chair] Shalleck said his only goal was to improve the “geographic diversity” of the sites, creating access to early voting for communities that have had none. But County Council staff have raised questions about whether the Longwood site meets all the Maryland criteria for early voting centers, specifically access to public transportation. [County Counicilmember Nancy] Navarro said the measure sponsored by Madaleno and Leudtke was “ a great idea. I’m really hoping this could be a fix,” she said....
VIDEO OF GOP BOARD OF ELECTIONS MEMBERS DISCUSSING THE CHANGES: In response to the controversy, Montgomery County Councilmembers held a public hearing to question the county Board of Elections (MCBOE) about the motivation for these changes. In the video clip below (posted by Councilmember Tom Hucker) you can see the recently appointed Republican Chair of the MCBOE Jim Shalleck admit that:
Replacing the Burtonsville and Chevy Chase early voting sites with ones closer to Republicans would mean fewer voters live close to an early vote polling location
Not a single person who testified at a public hearing about polling locations called for closing the Burtonsville or Chevy Chase polling locations
Not a single person testified in favor of the proposed new sites in the less densely populated neighborhoods
Republican members of the MCBOE held private calls with Republican Party leaders about changing the early voting sites
Let’s break the Republicans' decision down:
IMPACT OF THE GOP'S PROPOSED EARLY VOTING CHANGES: The move by the GOP Board to "expand the geographic reach of early voting" may seem innocuous, but is hard to see as anything but a partisan move -- instead of one based on fair and efficient election administration. Congressman Van Hollen points out that Chevy Chase's Lawton Community Center is the only western down-county early voting site within walking distance of a Metro station. The Republicans are proposing to close this polling location and open a new one in a far-less populated area in Potomac that is not Metro-accessible.
But what is most suspect about the GOP’s proposal is how it moves early voting away from the high concentration of minority voters in East County. You can visualize what the impact of this change by using the Racial Dot Map from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. The black star on the map below is the current Burtonsville early voting center. The shading around the star represents the concentration of minority voters:
Borders reflect approximately 5 mile radius from Praisner Center
The same voter suppression in Burtonsville holds true for lower-income voters. The following map was created using the Synthetic Population Viewer developed by RTI International. Again, the star represents the Burtonsville early voting site, and the shading near the site represents lower income voters:
Unsurprisingly, these voters tend to vote Democratic. By comparison, the precincts around the Republicans proposed new site in Brookeville are among the handful of areas that Governor Hogan won in Montgomery County in 2014. The black star below represents the GOP's proposed new site in Brookeville, and the shading around the star represents the concentration of the Republican vote:
Thousands of low-income minority and Democratic-leaning voters will now be over 10 miles away from the nearest early voting center. But election data in Maryland show that the closer you are to an early voting site, the more likely you are to use it.
One big reason is a new Maryland law taking effect that allows same day voter registration. Starting in 2016, Maryland residents can register to vote and cast a ballot at any early voting center for 8 days. According to Demos, same-day registration would increase overall turnout especially among young adults, voters of color and low-income families. Research even suggests that voter turnout is maximized when same day registration is coupled with early voting. Moving early voter centers away from the voters most likely to benefit from same day registration? This is surely not the intention of the GOP....
BUT IT COULD’VE BEEN WORSE (HA): Facing perhaps unexpected pressure from the press and elected officials to fully explain their rationale for the early voting changes -- Republican MCBOE Chair Jim Shalleck warned Kate Ryan of WTOP that it could’ve been much worse (transcript below, emphasis mine):
JIM SHALLECK: If we wanted to be political we could’ve cut Silver Spring and Wheaton - the two most heavily Democratic voting sites. But we didn’t.
EARLY VOTING WORKS WELL FOR MINORITIES AND LOW-INCOME VOTERS: The Washington Post’sEmily Badger makes a persuasive economic case about why early voting is important to minorities and low-income voters (excerpt below, emphasis mine)
WASHINGTON POST: Early
voting is intimately bound up in race, not simply because minorities
are more likely to take advantage of it, but because the policy itself addresses systemic barriers they face.
When we decide to vote, we're not simply making a calculation about
whether we like the candidates, or care about the issues at stake, or
value the abstract idea of democracy. We also have to make calculations
about how to get to the polls, whether we can spare the time to go
there, and who will watch the kids while we're gone.
These costs associated with voting — in lost pay, in childcare, in transit fares — are higher for minorities and the poor. Which is why they are among the largest beneficiaries of early, flexible voting.
Act now to stop the Maryland Republicans' voter suppression efforts:
UPDATE: An anonymous source indicates that Ronnie Galvin (a potential applicant for Valerie Ervin's interim County Council vacancy) may have moved to White Oak not too long ago, which would mean he may indeed still be eligible for the District 5 "caretaker" position. False alarm?
Below Maryland Juice provides a few news items of interest to politicos:
JUICE #1: EQUALITY MARYLAND ENDORSES ANTHONY BROWN FOR GOVERNOR - Maryland's LGBT rights advocacy group Equality Maryland made a notable endorsement in the upcoming Governor's race by endorsing Lt. Governor Anthony Brown last week. The Washington Blade reported on the development (excerpt below):
WASHINGTON BLADE: Maryland’s largest LGBT advocacy organization on Monday announced it has endorsed Lieutenant Gov. Anthony Brown for governor.... “We are proud to put our support behind the Brown/Ulman ticket for governor and lieutenant governor,” said Equality Maryland Executive Director Carrie Evans in a statement....
Mizeur described the Brown endorsement as a “puzzling choice” in a statement. “No one in this race has done more for the LGBT community than the Mizeur-Coates ticket,” she told the Washington Blade. “I’m not sure what more we could have done to earn their support....”
Evans defended her organization’s decision to endorse Brown — and not Mizeur. “I suppose any candidate that doesn’t get an endorsement feels snubbed,” Evans told the Blade. “Equality Maryland is confident the Brown/Ulman administration will provide the leadership Equality Maryland needs in our next governor and has the relationships we need to move LGBT issues forward in our state....”
JUICE #2: GANSLER SUPPORTERS FIGHT BOARD OF ELECTIONS RULING ALLOWING ULMAN TO FUNDRAISE DURING LEGISLATIVE SESSION - Maryland Juice reported that the state's board of elections recently drafted an opinion allowing Howard County Executive Ken Ulman to continue fundraising during the upcoming Annapolis legislative session. We previously noted that this decision means that the Brown-Ulman ticket can fundraise during the January to April session, while the Gansler-Ivey ticket cannot. Notably, state officials are prohibited from fundraising during session, and Doug Gansler and Jolene Ivey are both state officials. But The Baltimore Sun reported that the day after Christmas, supporters of Doug Gansler filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the Board of Elections ruling (excerpt below):
BALTIMORE SUN: Lawyer Daniel M. Clements, who backs Gansler's campaign for the Democratic nomination, filed suit in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court against Maryland State Elections Board chief Linda H. Lamone, Brown and his running mate, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. The suit seeks to invalidate the board's ruling that Ulman — as a county officeholder — is not covered by a fundraising moratorium that applies to state officials while the legislature is meeting....
But Lamone ruled Dec. 19 that Ulman can continue to raise money for his own campaign committee during the legislative session, which runs from Jan. 8 to April 7. The Brown campaign has said Ulman's fundraising activities will be kept separate from the overall Brown-Ulman effort, though any money Ulman takes in could be spent to promote the ticket in the June 24 primary.
Maryland law prevents statewide elected officials and legislators from soliciting or accepting donations during the session — a provision intended to avoid the appearance that campaign gifts are influencing the lawmaking process. A third Democratic candidate, Del. Heather R. Mizeur of Montgomery County, can continue to raise donations of up to $250 because she is accepting public financing....
JUICE #3: MOCO ATTORNEYS RULE THAT CARETAKER APPOINTEE FOR VALERIE ERVIN'S COUNCIL SEAT MUST LIVE IN NEWLY REDISTRICTED BOUNDARIES - MoCo politicos have been discussing potential replacements for Councilmember Valerie Ervin's District 5 seat. There is one year left in Ervin's term, and a majority of Councilmembers plan to appoint a "caretaker" who will not run for her seat in the June 2014 Democratic Primary. Several names have been floated as possible appointees for the coveted County Council seat, but last night Maryland Juice received word of a wrinkle to the story. A source forwarded us an email they received from the County Council's press officer, Neil Greenberger indicating that the Council vacancy must be filled be a Democrat who lives in the newly redrawn District 5 boundaries (excerpt below):
NEIL GREENBERGER: I promised to get back to you as soon as I learned of the decision regarding the residency boundaries in regard to filling the County Council District 5 vacancy. After careful study, both the attorneys of the County Council and the County Attorney have concurred on the following:
The appointee to the District 5 Council seat, which will become vacant when Councilmember Ervin resigns on January 3, 2014, must be a resident of District 5 as it is currently configured after the 2011 redistricting, which became effective on March 7, 2012.
Notably, Montgomery County's Council districts were recently redrawn, and so it now appears that Democrats who live in Council District 5 as it existed in the 2010 election cycle are not necessarily eligible to apply for the appointment. Bethesda Magazine and The Gazette published lists of Democrats who may be interested in applying for the Council vacancy (see below), but so far only one possible appointee may be disqualified by MoCo's interpretation of the vacancy appointment process: Ronnie Galvin. Maryland Juice checked the voter registration addresses of all of the possible D5 appointees named below, and so far all but Ronnie Galvin appear to live in the new District 5. UPDATE: An anonymous source believes that Galvin moved to White Oak not too long ago, which would mean he would likely still be eligible for the appointment.
*
Alan Bowser, 61, a Silver Spring-based attorney who was a deputy
assistant secretary of Commerce during the Clinton administration and
more recently chief of staff to former County Councilmember Duchy
Trachtenberg.
* Michael Diegel, 59, a public affairs
consultant who chairs the Silver Spring Arts & Entertainment
District Advisory Committee and is a member of the county’s Nighttime
Economy Task Force.
* Ronnie Galvin, 45, executive
director of Impact Silver Spring, a group formed in the wake of the
Silver Spring redevelopment to provide support services to community
residents.
* Tim Male, 43, a Takoma Park city council
member since 2011 and, until recently, vice president of a national
environmental organization, Defenders of Wildlife.
*
Dale Tibbitts, 55, for the past seven years chief of staff to at-large
Councilmember Marc Elrich and a former chair of the Silver Spring
Transit Management District Advisory Committee.
* Dan
Wilhelm, 68, a former president of the Montgomery County Civic
Federation and a former chair of the Committee for Montgomery, an
umbrella group that is active on state legislative issues.
Applicants
for the seat must reside in Silver Spring/Takoma Park-based District 5
and, like Ervin, be a registered Democrat. They will be asked to pledge
only to fill out the remainder of Ervin’s term, which runs through next
Dec. 1, and not to seek a full term in next June’s primary, according to
Rice’s statement.
Note that the list above flags
people that may be interested in the caretaker appointment, though not
all of them have actually submitted an application for the County
Council vacancy. The Gazette's Ryan Marshall followed-up on the
story with an article highlighting four people that have actually
submitted applications already. Notably, three out of four people who
have actually applied were not on Lou Peck's list, indicating that
interest in the interim appointment is strong. Here's an excerpt from The Gazette's caretaker coverage:
GAZETTE:
A retired high school principal, a Howard University law professor, a
government contractor and a former town councilman are among the people
who have applied to fill the soon-to-be vacant District 5 seat on the
Montgomery County Council.... The deadline to submit applications is
Jan. 8.
So far, applicants to fill the spot are:
Jeanette Dixon of Silver Spring, Arthur H. Jackson Jr. of Takoma Park,
Howard University law professor Harold McDougall and Daniel Wilhelm of
Colesville, according to county records....
JUICE #4: TERRILL NORTH ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN FOR VALERIE ERVIN'S MOCO COUNCIL SEAT - While the County Council prepares to appoint a temporary District 5 Councilmember, the June 2014 primary race for a full four-year term is beginning to take shape. Maryland Juice received the following press release from Takoma Park activist Terrill North announcing that he will be running for the District 5 County Council seat in the June 2014 Democratic Primary. So far Terrill North is facing off against Silver Spring activist Evan Glass, though politicos expect Board of Education member Chris Barclay and Delegate Tom Hucker to make decisions on the race shortly. In the meantime, you can see Terrill North's press announcement below:
PRESS RELEASE
Terrill North released the following statement: I’m in. And I’m in to win – Then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, 1/20/2007
Living and working in Montgomery County has brought many moments of deep joy into my life, including:
I have spent the past few months listening to neighbors, family, and friends about issues including school construction, community-centered development, and environmental protection. I have been humbled by expressions of support from all corners. You can hear what several local leaders including my new campaign chair, Emily Koechlin, have had to say about me or my candidacy at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42CwihDTBis.
Today I’m announcing that I am running in the Democratic primary on June 24, 2014 for the open Montgomery County Council seat representing District Five.
Over the next several months I am looking forward to many discussions about preserving our Montgomery County heritage and preparing for our future, including:
Addressing growing inequality and closing the achievement gap in local schools;
Protecting Ten Mile Creek, the last pristine waterway in Montgomery County;
Reducing congestion; and
Building a Health Economy Corridor in centered on the FDA Science Center, Washington Adventist Hospital, local college campuses, and Bus Rapid Transit.
I'm in. And I'm in to win – with your help.
Now let’s get to work…
Terrill
###
JUICE #5: MINIMUM WAGE ADVOCATES TO HIGHLIGHT WHICH MOCO DEMOCRATS SUPPORT $10.10 AN HOUR // PLUS: 13 STATES TO INCREASE WAGE ON JAN 1 - Maryland Juice received the following press release from advocates of a minimum wage hike announcing a press conference to highlight which Montgomery County Democrats have signed onto a $10.10 minimum wage:
PRESS RELEASE
Montgomery County delegation to the Maryland General Assembly to announce support for raising the state’s minimum wage during upcoming legislative session
County delegation chairs to announce list of elected supporters of higher pay for Maryland workers
What:
Press conference with Montgomery County delegation to the General Assembly to announce support for raising the minimum wage
Who:
Montgomery County delegation chairs Sen. Jamie Raskin and Del. Anne Kaiser along with other county elected officials and advocates
Where:
Temple Emanuel
10101 Connecticut Avenue
Kensington, MD 20895
When:
Friday, January 3, 2014 at 10 am
The Montgomery County delegation to the Maryland General Assembly will detail its support for raising the state’s minimum wage during the upcoming legislative session at a press conference to be held at Temple Emanuel in Kensington on Friday, January 3. Montgomery County delegation chairs Sen. Jamie Raskin and Del. Anne Kaiser will announce which members of the delegation have signed onto a letter of support circulated by Raise Maryland in support of a higher wage. Signatories call for legislation to raise the state’s lowest wage that includes three key provisions:
Raise Maryland’s minimum wage in three steps to $10.10 by 2016;
Index the minimum wage to the cost of living thereafter so that it doesn’t lose value over time; and
Increase the minimum wage for tipped workers from the current 50 percent to 70 percent of the prevailing minimum wage.
Speakers will include the delegation chairs who will discuss their plans to pass the minimum wage bill during the 2014 General Assembly session and why they believe that an increase in the minimum wage is good for both workers and business.
By failing to act to raise the wage floor during the 2013 Maryland General Assembly, state lawmakers effectively cut the pay of state workers as the value of the minimum wage continues to fall. By contrast, low-wage workers in 13 other states will get a raise on January 1, including four states that recently raised the wage as well as nine states that annually index the minimum wage to inflation
Momentum has been building for Maryland to increase the state’s minimum wage during the upcoming 2014 session of the Maryland General Assembly. Montgomery and Prince George’s county councils each recently passed bills raising wages in those jurisdictions to $11.50 by 2017.
Research has found that approximately 472,000 Marylanders would benefit from the increase, putting $466 million more in their pockets in the next two years. At the same time, businesses would benefit from nearly half a billion dollars in new consumer spending and would create more than 4,000 new full-time jobs as they expand to meet increased demand.
Meanwhile, the National Employment Law Project just put out a press release noting that 13 states will increase their minimum wage on New Year's Day:
PRESS RELEASE
13 States to Increase Minimum Wage on New Year’s Day
2.5 million low-paid workers to receive a pay raise as a growing number of states raise the minimum wage in the face of Congressional inaction
Washington, DC – After a year when thousands of low-wage workers staged historic strikes to demand higher pay in the retail and fast-food industries, and after escalating calls from President Obama and Congressional Democrats to raise the federal minimum wage for the first time in four years, the new year will begin with 13 states implementing minimum wage increases that are estimated to boost the incomes of 2.5 million low-paid workers, according to an analysis of Census data by the Economic Policy Institute.
Four of these states – Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island – passed laws to raise the minimum wage earlier this year, while the remaining nine states – Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington – are adjusting their minimum wages in accordance with state laws requiring automatic annual increases to keep pace with the rising cost of living. (California, which also passed a law this year to raise its minimum wage, will raise its minimum wage in July).
The increases will generate an additional $619 million in new economic growth as low-paid workers spend their increased earnings on basic necessities like food, gasoline, and housing.
“As Congress drags its feet on raising the federal minimum wage, more and more Americans are earning poverty-level wages in expanding industries like retail and fast food,” said Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project. “In the face of federal inaction, states are boosting the paychecks of the lowest-paid workers, promoting growth and consumer spending, and hopefully providing an example for Congress to follow.”
As the unemployment rate in many states continues to slowly decline, new job growth remains disproportionately concentrated in low-wage industries such as retail and food services, making an increase in the minimum wage an urgent priority for growing numbers of working families who are relying on low-wage work to make ends meet. Fully 58 percent of new jobs created in the post-recession recovery have been low-wage occupations, according to a 2012 report by the National Employment Law Project.
A growing list of states and cities is expected to approve minimum wage increases over the next year. Legislators have introduced proposals in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, and Hawaii, while efforts to place minimum wage increases on the November 2014 ballot are underway in South Dakota, Alaska, New Mexico, Idaho, Arkansas, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia. Local leaders are also exploring citywide minimum wage increases in Seattle, Chicago, and other cities.
In a rare example of regional cooperation, the District of Columbia City Council approved a bill earlier this month to raise the District’s minimum wage to $11.50 per hour, with parallel measures raising the minimum wage to $11.50 per hour also approved in the neighboring Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s.
The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, supported by President Obama and introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives earlier this year, would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour and adjust it annually to keep pace with the rising cost of living. The Fair Minimum Wage Act would also gradually raise the minimum wage for tipped workers from its current low rate of $2.13 per hour, where it has been frozen since 1991, to 70 percent of the full minimum wage.
At the local level, San Francisco will also increase its minimum wage on New Year’s day, to $10.79 per hour, along with San Jose, which will boost its wage to $10.15 per hour, in accordance with city statutes requiring annual inflation indexing. The city of SeaTac, Washington, will establish a $15 per hour wage for airport-related hospitality and restaurant occupations, following a ballot measure approved in November.
As of January 1st, 2014, 21 states, including the District of Columbia, will have minimum wage rates above the federal level of $7.25 per hour, which translates to just over $15,000 per year for a full-time minimum wage earner.
The most rigorous economic research over the past 20 years shows that raising the minimum wage boosts worker pay without causing job losses – even in regions where the economy is weak or unemployment is high. A recent study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research reviews the past two decades of research on the impact of minimum wage increases on employment and concludes that “the weight of the evidence points to little or no effect of minimum wage increases on job growth.” An April 2013 poll found that 67 percent of small business owners support raising and indexing the minimum wage, indicating that the majority believe an increase will help boost economic growth.
The following table lists the states with increases, amount of increase, the new wage on January 1, 2014, the total workers directly and indirectly affected, and the GDP impact of each minimum wage increase:
States with Minimum Wage Increase
Amount of Wage Increase
New Wage onJan. 1, 2014
Total Affected Workers
GDP Impact
Arizona
$0.10
$7.90
75,000
$15,828,000
Colorado
$0.22
$8.00
104,000
$18,788,000
Connecticut
$0.45
$8.70
107,000
$24,666,000
Florida
$0.14
$7.93
416,000
$62,774,000
Missouri
$0.15
$7.50
104,000
$11,865,000
Montana
$0.10
$7.90
13,000
$2,516,000
New Jersey
$1.00
$8.25
443,000
$173,204,000
New York
$0.75
$8.00
676,000
$215,236,000
Ohio
$0.10
$7.95
330,000
$38,795,000
Oregon
$0.15
$9.10
104,000
$16,206,000
Rhode Island
$0.25
$8.00
23,000
$3,869,000
Vermont
$0.13
$8.73
10,000
$1,896,000
Washington
$0.13
$9.32
158,000
$33,569,000
Total
2,563,000
$619,212,000
The National Employment Law Project is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts research and advocates on issues affecting low-wage and unemployed workers. For more about NELP, visit www.nelp.org or www.raisetheminimumwage.org.
###
JUICE #6: FORMER MD GOP CHAIR ALEX MOONEY EARNS BACKING OF RIGHTWING GROUPS FOR WEST VIRGINIA CONGRESSIONAL SEAT - We previously noted that Maryland's discredited former GOP Chair Alex Mooney left the state to run for Congress in West Virginia. In case you were hoping what ever became of his race, I just noticed that Mooney received the endorsement of the rightwing activist and opponent of womens rights, Phyllis Schlafly. Check out the following press release from Mooney's West Virginia campaign website:
PRESS RELEASE
Eagle Forum PAC Endorses Alex Mooney for Congress
Martinsburg, WV - Eagle Forum PAC endorsed Alex Mooney, conservative Republican candidate for Congress in West Virginia’s Second Congressional District.
“Alex is exactly the kind of leader we need in Washington. He will be a bold, pro-family, Constitution-supporting representative who can provide sorely needed leadership in Washington,” said Phyllis Schlafly, founder and president of Eagle Forum. “We know we can count on him to continue to stand up for the unborn and the Constitutional rights that we hold dear.”
“I am honored by Eagle Forum’s endorsement,” Mooney said. “We share a deeply held belief that our traditional conservative values are under assault by the liberal Obama administration. West Virginians deserve a representative who will stand up for their conservative beliefs and their freedom. In Congress, I will be a relentless voice for our individual liberties, our families, and our industries.”
The Eagle Forum endorsement is part of a growing conservative movement rallying behind Mooney’s candidacy. Mooney has also been endorsed by the Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund, Citizens United Political Victory Fund, and Morton Blackwell. The Eagle Forum endorsement can be read here.
Candidate Alex Mooney, his wife Grace, and their children reside in Charles Town, West Virginia. Mooney is taking his campaign to defend conservative values to every part of West Virginia’s Second Congressional District.
Heads up, folks: The Montgomery County & Prince George's County Boards of Election have recommended additional early voting locations for the 2014 election cycle. MoCo previously had five early vote locations and will now have nine, while Prince George's is increasing from five to eight locations. Early voting in 2014 will be open June 12 to June 19 for the Primary Election and October 23 to October 30 for the General Election. Note: The locations below are still subject to approval by the Maryland State Board of Elections.
2014 Montgomery County Early Voting Centers
Activity Center at Bohrer Park, Social Hall
506 S. Frederick Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Damascus Community Recreation Center, Social Hall
25520 Oak Drive
Damascus, MD 20872
Executive Office Building, Auditorium
101 Monroe Street
Rockville, MD 20850
Germantown Community Recreation Center, Social Hall
18905 Kingsview Road
Germantown, MD 20874
Jane E. Lawton Community Recreatin Center, Social Hall
4301 Willow Lane
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center, Social Hall
149906 Old Columbia Pike
Burtonsville, MD 20866
Mid-County Community Recreation Center, Social Hall
2004 Queensguard Road
Silver Spring, MD 20906
Silver Spring Civic Building, Ellsworth and Spring Rooms
One Veterans Place
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Wheaton Community Recreation Center, Gymnasium
11711 Georgia Avennue
Wheaton, MD 20906
2014 Prince George's County Early Voting Centers
Baden Community Center
13601 Baden-Westwood Road
Brandywine, MD 20613
Bowie Community Center
3209 Stonybrook Drive
Bowie, MD 20715
College Park Community Center
5051 Pierce Avenue
College Park, MD 20740
Tomorrow Maryland Juice is going to be discussing different aspects of running for office and managing campaigns. The event is being hosted by Leadership Montgomery and includes speakers with a fairly diverse set of perspectives coming together to talk to politicos. Note that there is a fee associated with the event, but advance tickets are cheaper than at the door:
A Workshop on Running a Successful Political Campaign Saturday, March 2, 2013: 8:30 am -12:30 pm
Location: Bethesda Chevy-Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda
Maryland has now completed its early voting period, and the Board of Elections now has turnout figures for all five days of early voting. Below we provide our quick and dirty analysis of the turnout data, and along the way we highlight a few interesting tidbits. The full data sheets are at the bottom of this post.
JUICE #1: DEMOCRATS TROUNCED REPUBLICANS IN EARLY VOTE TURNOUT - The most important fact from 2012 early voting in Maryland is that Democrats participated in early balloting at a far higher rate than Republicans:
430,573 voters or fully 11.65% of all eligible voters turned out for early voting this year. But within the early voting population, Democrats participated at a significantly higher rate than Republicans or independents. 13.94% of Democrats voted early, compared to only 9.31% of Republicans. See the early vote breakdown by party:
Democrat - 287,057 (13.94% of eligible Democrats)
Republican - 89,393 (9.31% of eligible Republicans)
Unaffiliated - 49,773 (8.09% of eligible independents)
Libertarian - 714 (6.34% of eligible Libertarians)
Green - 574 (6.59% of eligible Greens)
Americans Elect - 6 (4.58% of eligible Americans Elect members)
Other - 3,056 (7.59% of eligible members of other parties)
Below Maryland Juice provides turnout figures from the first day of early voting in the Free State. Yesterday, the ground reports indicated a surge in turnout, and those reports are now confirmed by hard data. Turnout was higher in every jurisdiction, but Democrats appear to be more enthusiastic about voting early. Below you can see the full early vote turnout reports, but first Maryland Juice highlights some key figures:
DEMOCRATIC ADVANTAGE ON DAY 1 OF EARLY VOTING: Democratic turnout on the first day of early vote surged to 2.5 times the turnout on the first day of early voting in 2010. Meanwhile, GOP turnout also surged, but by a much smaller factor of 1.5 times the 2010 figures.
WOMEN TURNOUT IN HIGHER NUMBERS FOR EARLY VOTING: Meanwhile, I am not surprised to see that women are also turning out at significantly higher levels than men. Note that Democrats have an edge among women, so that would make sense:
2012 Turnout (Day 1): 46,436 women vs. 31,935 men
TOP FIVE COUNTIES FOR RAW TURNOUT ON DAY 1: Here are the top six counties for raw early vote turnout on Day 1:
Montgomery County 13,061 (2.12%)
Prince George's 11,151 (1.96%)
Baltimore County 9,418 (1.83%)
Baltimore City 8,995 (2.29%)
Anne Arundel 6,521 (1.87%)
Howard 5,976 (3.17%)
Note that Day 1 early vote turnout in Montgomery was over 3 times higher than in 2010, where a paltry 3,786 voters participated in Day 1 early voting. (.66%) Lastly, the County with the highest percentage of voters using early vote on Day 1 was Talbot County with 1,214 voters on day 1 (4.80%).
Below you can see the full 2012 and 2010 turnout reports from the Maryland Board of Elections:
