It’s Time To Raise Wages For Montana’s Middle Class
Author: Justin Ailport, MDP Interim Executive Director
It’s Time to Raise Wages for Montana’s Middle Class
Justin Ailport
MDP Interim Executive Director
If it feels like you spend $100 every time you leave the house, you’re not alone.
Under Republican leadership, prices continue to climb for just about everything. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” – voted for by Senators Daines and Sheehy, Reps. Zinke and Downing drastically worsen the already faltering economy.
That is, for anyone who’s not a billionaire. The median household in Montana will lose $1,700 in income per year, thanks to the “cuts” in the bill.
Montanans shouldn’t have to choose between school supplies and groceries, and they damn sure shouldn’t be skipping doctors’ appointments because they can’t afford insurance.
Montana Democrats are sickened by the greed of our Republican “leaders”. With the right wins in 2026, we’re going to put cold, hard cash back in the pockets of Montanans. It’s time to legitimately raise wages in this state.
Rep. Kelly Kortum (D-Bozeman) wrote legislation this spring to bump the minimum wage up to $12.06. Republicans killed it, claiming that Montana’s minimum wage auto-adjusts for inflation. To that I ask: Have any of them been to the grocery store or rented an apartment in this state lately?
According to the MIT living wage calculator, in a Montana family of four, both parents need to make $28.24 working full-time to adequately support their family. For comparison, the minimum wage in Montana is $10.55 – not to mention the housing and childcare crises in this state.
Let’s raise the minimum wage. $12? $15? $20? That’s a conversation for our state leaders to have. By raising wages, we give working Montanans a much-needed boost while minimizing the burden on Main Street businesses and bolstering local economies. Although short of $28.24, these increases would be a major advancement in shrinking the wealth gap in this state.
Montanans deserve to be able to work and play where they live. Working two, if not three, minimum wage jobs just to pay for the bare necessities is a reality for many of our neighbors. What kind of a life is working 60+ hours a week and still having to skip that fishing trip because you can’t afford an extra tank of gas?
This isn’t the American Dream, and it sure as hell isn’t the future we want to see for Montana. By raising wages, Democrats flip the script for our working class. In Montana, a good day of work should include a stop at the river or local brewery – not a second shift just to stay above water.
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