“It’s a slap in the face of working families in Flagstaff,” he said. “We will vigorously defend Prop. 414 and all of its provisions.”

Elevate also wants to reduce from $2 an hour to 50 cents an hour the amount above the state minimum that Flagstaff employers would be required to pay. That 50-cent wage increase wouldn’t start until Jan. 1, 2021.

It would also remove much of the language authorizing the city to enforce the local wage law. For example, instead of allowing the local wage enforcement office to investigate and rule on any employee complaints, the office would have to forward the complaint to the Arizona Industrial Commission.

Several state business organizations, including the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and the Flagstaff Greater Chamber of Commerce, have filed a lawsuit to overturn the new state minimum wage law.

Stuart McDaniel, the government affairs director for the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, said the organization supports Elevate’s efforts but neither the Chamber nor its political action committee, BizPac, is funding the group or the petition-gathering process.

Bader also pointed out that Elevate’ s proposal for Flagstaff is pegged to “the state minimum wage as provided for under (ARS 23-363) or its successor statute.” The latter is embodied under Prop. 206, but both the Flagstaff Chamber and Elevate are hoping that the new state law will be deemed unconstitutional by the courts, Bader said. If that happens, then everything would go back to the status quo. The state minimum wage would be $8.05 an hour, with increases linked to the consumer price index. However, Elevate’ s 50-cent an hour increase in 2021 would still be in effect locally were the Flagstaff initiative to pass and replace Prop. 414.

The reporter can be reached at sadams@azdailysun.com or (928)556-2253.

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