Chamber Withheld Poll Results On Raising State Minimum Wage

The Montana Chamber of Commerce withheld one question when it released results of a statewide poll this past week.

The question uncovered strong support - 72 percent - for raising the minimum wage.

The Lee Newspapers state bureau discovered that the question was omitted from a booklet the chamber released to explain the poll, and President David Owen at first refused a request for the additional information.

Owen said the minimum-wage question was an add-on question to the poll and “a simplistic insertion on a complex issue.”

The poll found 72 percent favored raising the minimum wage in 50-cent increments from $4.25 to $6.25 by the year 2000. Twenty-five percent were opposed, and 3 percent had no opinion.

The question was, “Montana workers must be paid at least the federal minimum wage. Next year, Montana voters will likely be asked to vote for or against increasing the minimum wage in Montana above the federal level. Are you for or against raising Montana’s minimum wage?”