2014 NC Senate debate: on Jobs

Tom Cotton: Yes on minimum wage of $8.25, but no minimum-wage-economy

The announcement means Pryor and Cotton now hold the same position: Opposition to raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10, as President Obama has called for, but support for raising the state minimum wage to $8.25 an hour.

Pryor has previously criticized Cotton for declining to take a stance on the state push, and Cotton's comments remove minimum wage as a wedge issue for him just days after the measure officially qualified for the ballot.

Thom Tillis: Opposes federal minimum wage; but let states decide

On the minimum wage, Brannon said a federal standard is unconstitutional. Tillis responded: "If there's going to be a minimum wage, it's a decision that needs to be made by the states--not the federal government."

Tim Scott: $1,000 tax credit for job-training apprenticeships

Booker and Scott are unveiling a proposal that would promote apprenticeships in highly-skilled trades, a move designed to help fill millions of technical jobs in the construction, manufacturing energy and telecommunications industries, while also creating jobs for younger Americans, especially minorities struggling to find work.

Booker and Scott's LEAP Act (Leveraging and Energizing America's Apprenticeship Programs) would provide tax credits to employers who offer apprenticeships to younger job applicants. Companies that offer apprenticeships to people under age 25 would receive a $1,500 tax credit and a $1,000 credit for apprentices above age 25. Apprenticeships, unlike office internships, offer a combination of on-the-job training and instruction in highly-skilled occupations.