It seems ridiculous, but the Republicans in the Arizona legislature do it every year: Consider and often pass legislation that is clearly unconstitutional. It’s not just a waste of their time; if Governor Ducey signs these frivolous bills, the State is stuck defending the indefensible laws in court. And that means our tax dollars go down the drain.
Why do they do this? The obvious explanation is that they are pandering to their donor base. In the latest case, it’s the Chamber of Commerce, which has never seen a minimum wage law it likes. Well, the voters of Arizona DO like the minimum wage.
More importantly for this discussion, Arizona voters have voted to enact minimum wage laws repeatedly. What the voters enact, the legislature cannot undo. So, the current bills to reduce the minimum wage for students part-time workers are simply a waste — of their time and your dollars.