LAS CRUCES, N.M. (Oct. 16. 2014) - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) visited the Mountain View Market in Las Cruces today to talk about the importance of raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 for all workers.

"A higher minimum wage puts more money in the pockets of people who are likely to spend locally, helps businesses reduce worker turnover, and increases productivity," said Sen. Heinrich. "And when workers succeed, New Mexico families succeed. Raising the minimum wage is not only a critical component to the economic stability of working parents, but also contributes enormously to improving the wellbeing of New Mexico children."

During his visit to the Mountain View Market, which employs workers who earn above the federal minimum wage, Senator Heinrich heard from local business owners, workers, and representatives from Comunidades en Acción y de Fé (CAFé), a local multi-faith, multi-cultural organization dedicated to raising the minimum wage in Las Cruces.

Senator Heinrich is a cosponsor of the Fair Minimum Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 over three years and index future increases to inflation. Raising the federal minimum wage would help lift families out of poverty, reduce reliance on safety net programs, and give more than 27 million working Americans a raise.

In September, with broad community support, Las Cruces City Council voted to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2017 with living adjustments every year after that.

Facts on the Minimum Wage

• Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would reduce the number of people living in poverty by 4.6 million nationwide.
• More than 147,000 New Mexicans would benefit from raising the minimum wage to $10.10 and 43,000 more earners would see their pay increase as overall wages improve, dramatically increasing economic opportunities for hardworking people.
• Of the 147,000 New Mexicans that would benefit from raising the minimum wage more than 25,000 are parents, and approximately 87,000 children have at least one parent that would be affected.
• Nationwide, nearly two out of three low-wage earners are women.
• In New Mexico, more than half, 56 percent or roughly 83,000, women would benefit from improved wages.
• Raising the federal minimum wage for New Mexico workers would put roughly $201 million dollars in people's pockets to spend in the local economy.