MT: Clergy Come Out in Support of Minimum Wage Hike

The Montana minimum wage initiative got quite a boost yesterday when clergy from around the state made clear their endorsement of the measure -- citing the Bible as one basis for their argument that their faith requires them to support helping low-income workers.

Vernon Wright, a Helena minister, said people earning minimum wage -- a yearly income of $10,712 -- are "stranded on the road of this economy." Wright said that just as Jesus Christ taught his followers to care for their neighbors stranded on the road, so must Montanans help their minimum wage neighbors trapped in a "brutal and legal humiliation."

Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger, widely known for his deeply held religious beliefs, also spoke at the press conference. The Montana initiative raises the minimum wage by a dollar and then ties the measure to inflation. It will be voted on this fall.