The state House on Friday passed a bill authored by Golden Valley and St. Louis Park Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL-District 46A) that would increase the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by August 2015 and provide for automatic inflationary increases in the future.
“It’s important that Minnesota finally take a step forward on the minimum wage,” Winkler said Friday morning before the vote. “We are one of six states that have a minimum wage less than the federal minimum wage. It’s not been raised since 2005. And more and more, today’s economy is producing worse jobs for low-wage workers.”
Business groups counter that a higher minimum wage would hurt employers.
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The state’s current minimum wage is $6.25. The federal minimum wage, which applies to most businesses, is $7.25 an hour. About 93,000 workers earn the federal minimum wage or less, according to the Star Tribune
The House passed the bill on close 68-62 vote. Legislators removed a provision to define overtime as anything over 40 hours per week, including for agricultural employees
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“We should make it easier for both employers and workers to comply with work rules,” a news release quoted Winkler. “This is about Minnesota workers and Minnesota’s economy. Raising the minimum wage puts more money into workers’ pockets, and they spend it in the community. Businesses win when their customers have more money to spend.”
The Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on a bill that will raise the minimum wage to $7.75 on Wednesday.
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