On Jan. 19, while the rest of the nation was giving recognition to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Virginia Senate’s Commerce and Labor Committee voted down one of several measures that would have increased the state’s minimum wage.

The committee voted 11-3, along party lines, to shelve the bill indefinitely, which in effect killed its chance of passage this session. The fact that the committee’s 11 Republicans opposed the bill introduced by Sen. David W. Marsden, D-Fairfax, is indeed a sad commentary. The bill would have raised the state’s minimum wage to $8 per hour on July 1, $9 per hour on July 1, 2016, and $10.10 per hour in 2017. The committee’s three Democrats voted in favor of the measure.

While several other states have been more concerned with the needs of the general population and the gnawing shame that so many of their residents live at or below poverty, Virginia’s General Assembly seems to be oblivious to such a problem among its citizens.

While we must strive for a viable economy here in Virginia, the State Conference of the NAACP must also recognize and demand the need for a living wage here in Virginia. The sad part about this is that any effort in the House of Delegates seems to be pre-ordained to be “passed over” if we, the voters of Virginia, are to accept the statement of Matthew Moran, spokesman for House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, indicating that a minimum wage increase would find no sup- port in the House. Such a comment already has denied the Virginia State Conference NAACP, and any other Virginia-based organization, the opportunity to be fairly heard before the General Assembly on such an important civil, economic and human rights issue.

Moreover, if Mr. Moran’s statement on behalf of Speaker Howell is true, then why not just give the voters a list of those things for which we will find Speaker Howell’s support so that neither the Virginia State Conference NAACP, nor any other community-oriented organization, will waste his time with frivolous things such as putting a roof over our heads, feeding our families or putting clothing on our backs.

We could save the Commonwealth money by quickly ending the 2015 General Assembly session and eliminating the “dog and pony show” of something actually being done by our “public servants.”

After reviewing the additional party line votes of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor, one questions whether the General Assembly is the legislative home of public servants for the Commonwealth as a whole or the bidding agents of special business interests here in Virginia.

The Virginia State Conference NAACP is striving for the betterment of ALL people of Virginia, especially people of color. Shouldn’t the General Assembly also be striving for the same betterment of ALL people of Virginia?

CARMEN TAYLOR

Hampton

The writer is president of the Virginia State Conference NAACP.