Issue Position: Economy

Issue Position

Mary Alice finds it alarming that in five of the six counties in District 17, an average of 20.6 percent of all households receives food stamps, which is almost 4 percent higher than the state average.

She knows that working families in District 17 need jobs that pay a living wage so that no one who works a full-time job has to rely on public assistance to survive.

Given that Tennessee's economy runs on consumer spending, Mary Alice believes it makes good common sense to raise the minimum wage. "If working families struggle to pay their rent and put food on their tables, then how can they afford to buy anything else?" she asks.

Source