SENATORS KENNEDY AND EDWARDS JOIN STATE ORGANIZERS TO DISCUSS MINIMUM WAGE BALLOT INITIATIVES ON CONFERENCE CALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, STATES ARE TAKING THE LEAD TO GIVE MILLIONS THE RAISE THEY DESERVE

Washington, DC: On Monday, October 23 at noon, Senator Edward Kennedy and former Senator John Edwards will host a press conference call with the organizers from the six states that have minimum wage initiatives on the ballot this year: Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Missouri, Nevada and Ohio. The minimum wage measures are expected to pass in all six states and extensive get-out-the-vote efforts are underway. Senators Kennedy and Edwards will discuss how the state efforts demonstrate the need for prompt federal action to raise the minimum wage and the organizers will give updates on the progress of their campaigns. Senator Kennedy, a lifelong champion of raising the minimum wage, has been fighting to pass his bill that would raise the minimum wage from 5.15 to 7.25 over 2 years. While his plan has bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate, Republican leadership has blocked the bill from passage. Senator Edwards has been traveling around the country to build grassroots support for state ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage. He has been working closely with minimum wage coalitions in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Missouri, Nevada and Ohio to support their efforts to raise the minimum wage. WHO:Senator Edward Kennedy Senator John Edwards Organizers from Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Missouri, Nevada and Ohio WHAT: Conference Call with Reporters WHEN: Monday, October 23 at 12:00pm **** HOW: Please call Senator Kennedy’s press office at (202)224-2633 if you’d like to participate###