Hear An Impassioned Case For Higher Minimum Wage On 'Real Time'

"Economic growth has been a spectator sport for too many people," California's lieutenant governor says.

California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom visited "Real Time with Bill Maher" on Friday night to discuss the importance of raising minimum wage in his state.

"Economic growth has been a spectator sport for too many people. Wages are flat, salaries are flat and we need to step it up," he said during the show's "Overtime" segment. "I can tell you as a former mayor of a city that had the highest minimum wage in the United States, the city has never done better economically."

"This notion that somehow raising the minimum wage is going to kill job growth and job creation is just simply untrue," continued Newsom, who is a former mayor of San Francisco. "It's factually incorrect."

Also on the panel was the Canadian minister of international trade, Chrystia Freeland, who added that middle-class prosperity is the backbone of economic growth.

"Anything you can do to support the middle class and the people who are struggling to join it is going to be good for the economy," she said.

Elsewhere in the episode, Maher discussed Ben Carson, environmental standards and Winnie the Pooh.

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