By Patrick Whittle
Associated Press (AP), Nov 9, 2016

PORTLAND — Maine voters have decided to give the state's lowest wage earners a raise. They approved a ballot initiative that boosts the hourly minimum wage of $7.50 to $12 by 2020. ...

HIKING MINIMUM WAGE

Voters decided to put more money in the pockets of the state's lowest wage earners.

A ballot question called for the hourly minimum wage to increase from $7.50 to $12 by 2020. It was approved. The raise will come in installments. The minimum wage is set to increase to $9 next...

By Shay Castle
Boulder Daily Camera, Nov 9, 2016

... "We really feel it's important as a company to support all our employees so that they can continue to live in Boulder or close to Boulder," said Stephanie Carter, co-owner of Boulder's Wallaroo Hat Co."We like to see all those dollars go back into the community."

The company, a Boulder Chamber member with 12 full-time employees, has always paid a dollar or two above minimum wage, at least, and gives employees a raise every year.

Carter said her already well-compensated employees will get raises in concurrence...

By Paul Chaney
Small Business Trends, Nov 9, 2016 

Four states passed ballot initiatives in Tuesday’s election raising the minimum wage. Arizona, Colorado and Maine plan wage hikes to $12 per hour by 2020 while Washington state will increase the minimum to $13.50, also by 2020. Along with raising the minimum wage, the measures in Arizona and Colorado will require businesses to provide employees with paid sick leave.

“Four very different states passed ballot initiatives today to raise the minimum wage,” said Holly Sklar, CEO of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, in a prepared statement. “That speaks volumes...

DENVER (CBS4)– Voters approved a minimum wage increase in Colorado that supporters say will come back to the community. Minimum wage will increase from $8.31 gradually to $12 by 2020.

Proponents of Amendment 70 say the increase will lead to more fulfilled workers that will have a positive change in the community.

“It isn’t like the money goes into the void to never be seen again. It comes right back to the community. It benefits the workers and reduces some of the government assistance so I think it’s a win-win situation for all of Colorado,” said Zo[e] Ma Ma restaurant owner Edwin Zoe...

By Carolyn M. Brown
Black Enterprise, November 9, 2016

After an extremely divisive election and close presidential race, the final winner was Republican candidate Donald Trump. ... How will the policies of his administration affect America’s 28.7 million small businesses? There are critical issues around how small businesses will fare in relation to minimum wage, taxes, healthcare, trade policy as well as other important economic factors.

Minimum Wage Is A Ballot Winner

The minimum wage was a winner this election in four states. Voters supported ballot initiatives gradually raising Arizona, Colorado, and Maine’s minimum wages to $12...

By Stephen Feller
UPI, Nov. 9, 2016 

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Voters in four states gave themselves a raise Tuesday, approving initiatives to raise the minimum wage to at least $12 by 2020 -- an increase of more than $4 per hour for employees in some states. ...

The wage increase will help people who "work two or three jobs and have almost no family life," Judy Clinco, the chief executive of Catalina In-Home Services and employer of lower-wage home healthcare workers, told The Wall Street Journal. "The increase will allow them to advance themselves." ...

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By Eliza Carter 
Colorado Independent, November 09, 2016

Voters have decided it’s time to give Colorado’s minimum-wage workers a long-overdue raise. ...

In a crowded, jubilant second-floor conference room at the Westin Downtown, a group of minimum wage earners, business owners and advocates celebrated.

“Amendment is going to help our local economy,” said Edwin Zoe, proprietor of restaurant Zoe Ma Ma. “When low income workers do well, we all do well.” ...

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By Wayne Heilman 
Colorado Springs Gazette, November 9, 2016

Colorado Springs business owners praised and panned a minimum-wage increase approved Tuesday by Colorado voters ...

"I thought it was very important to increase the minimum wage since it was almost even with the poverty-level wage in 1969 and for the last 10 years has been averaging about 60 percent of the poverty-level wage," said John Crandall, owner of the Old Town Bike Shop in downtown Colorado Springs. "If it had been $15 instead of the $12 an hour, I would not have supported it. But...

By Holly Sklar
Entrepreur, Nov 8, 2016

Today, voters in four states will decide on minimum-wage initiatives calling for an increase, by 2020, to either $12 (Arizona, Colorado and Maine) or $13.50 (Washington State). And, contrary to popular perception, plenty of small-business leaders -- of household names like Ben & Jerry's and Wetzel's Pretzels, to Main Street mom-and-pops -- are backing those increases. They're saying that higher wages will be good for businesses, customers and the economy. ...

Along with these political moves, our own organization, Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, has been active on the...

By Angela Gonzales
Phoenix Business Journal, Nov 8, 2016

Arizonans handily approved Proposition 206 Tuesday night, which will see the state's minimum wage rise to $12 an hour by 2020, according to early election results. ...

Judy Clinco, founder and CEO of Catalina In-Home Services in Tucson, said it's expensive and time consuming to replace employees and train new ones. Now, she said, businesses can save time and money by improving staff retention and job performance, while at the same time improving the lives of Arizonans.

Clinco was among more than 1,000 business owners, executives...