Audrey Spanko: Working families need a raise

Poverty is too common in East Texas.

In Senate District 1, 54% of households make less than $50,000 a year. More than 134,000 East Texans don’t have health insurance, and many more have lost their employer-tied insurance due to pandemic-induced job loss. Yet our state leaders refuse to raise the minimum wage.

Texas’ minimum wage is $7.25 an hour — about $15,000 a year. I don’t know anyone who believes that is enough for a working person to make ends meet. So why haven’t our leaders acted?

Texas hasn’t raised the minimum wage since 2009. Since then, average prices have inflated by 21%, and average home prices have surged by $136,000. And while many hard-working families in East Texas earn more than the minimum wage, $50,000 for a household with children isn’t nearly enough.

We have to raise the minimum wage. Anything less is unacceptable.

Unfortunately, corporate lobbyists and special interests have dominated decision-making in Austin for too long. Massive out-of-state corporations have bankrolled politicians to block attempts at paying workers a living wage. They fear it would cut into their profits, so they pay politicians to do their bidding.

As a result, East Texas faces extreme poverty. Too many people work 40 or more hours a week and still struggle to pay rent. They struggle to afford health care. They struggle to feed their families.

In 2019, I saw firsthand the lawmaking process in Austin. It shocked me: When our elected officials had the chance to choose between working families and the status quo, they chose the status quo. They chose corporate special interests.

That’s why I got into this race. In the Texas Senate, I will stand with working families, not corporations. I’ll make sure they pay their fair share.

But let me be clear: Raising the minimum wage is only the first step in addressing poverty. We must also guarantee paid family sick leave. The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the pressing need to ensure workers are able to care for their families without fear of losing their jobs when they’re sick. They shouldn’t be forced to choose between a paycheck or their loved ones.

At the same time, we must also ensure equal pay for equal work. In Texas, women on average make $0.89 for every $1.00 a man makes. According to the Texas Women’s Foundation, women make less than men in every career category — and the numbers are even worse for women of color. This is unacceptable.

These are critical issues in East Texas, and elected officials and candidates should discuss them and present solutions. So I have to ask: Where does my opponent, state Sen. Bryan Hughes, stand?

In July, I challenged him to a debate on jobs and wages. I thought voters should know how we plan to fight for better wages — and I wanted him to tell working families why he hasn’t supported them.

He never responded to my challenge. I wish I could say I was surprised.

Still, I held a public forum on jobs and wages earlier this month. Voters need to know what I believe, and when I’m elected, I will hold monthly town halls and refuse corporate special interest money. I will fight for the working people of East Texas.

I know our state leaders have turned their backs on East Texans. That will change when I’m elected.