At Delta Grassroots Caucus Mayor Hays Highlights Support for Wage Increase, Commitment to Seniors

Press Release

Former North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Henry Hays spoke to the Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus annual conference today at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock about his campaign for Congress and his plans to boost private sector job growth and support small business expansion. He also made firm commitments to protect Social Security and Medicare, and strongly endorsed the referendum to raise the Arkansas minimum wage to $8.50 per hour.

"While Washington sits on its hands, thousands of Arkansans -- myself included -- have signed a petition to put a minimum wage increase on the ballot in November," Mayor Hays said. "Business leaders to factory workers are uniting behind this wage increase because it's a commonsense initiative that will put more money in the pockets of working families while growing the economy for everyone."

To help businesses create jobs, Mayor Hays also said he'll work to get cut red tape and get rid of excessive regulation in Washington, just like he did as Mayor of North Little Rock.

"The Office of Management and Budget says the federal government has made over 132,000 rules since 1981. It's time for common sense to prevail, and the red-tape on business to be slashed." said Mayor Hays. Specifically, Mayor Hays highlighted his support for several pieces of bipartisan legislation making it easier for small businesses to refinance commercial property, a bill to allow credit unions to make more small business loans, and a bill to double the Small Business Startup Tax Deduction.
He concluded his remarks by focusing on his commitment to seniors, pledging to protect Medicare and Social Security, and speaking about his past work on behalf of Arkansas seniors as Mayor, when he worked to build and expand a state of the art senior center which now bears his name. The Patrick Henry Hays Senior Center has an average daily attendance of over 700 seniors each day, and provides services ranging from healthcare, to meal programs, to social activities.

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