Cities and counties are clashing with state legislators over attempts to bolster workers’ wages and benefits, the latest flashpoint in a national dispute over how to address inequality between the highest- and lowest-earning Americans, the Wall Street Journal reported today. So far this year, half a dozen Republican-dominated state legislatures—including in Alabama, Arizona and North Carolina—have passed so-called pre-emption bills that ban Democratic-leaning cities from raising wages and mandating benefits such as sick leave above state or federal minimums. A half-dozen similar measures are pending in statehouses nationwide with more expected later this year. Business groups say that the measures are critical to unwinding a confusing thicket of rules that raise compliance costs and kill jobs. Workers’ advocates say the policies being blocked can decrease employee turnover, boost productivity and support public health.
