State Capitol in Harrisburg. (Stand file)
State House voted on Wednesday on Wednesday to raise a minimum wage to USD 15 for most Pennsylvania and up to 12 USD for people working in smaller rural poviats.
This is a significant step in the last efforts of the Democrats to exceed the federal rate of 7.25 USD.
The minimum wage in Pennsylvania has not been wandered since 2008 and is lower than all the surrounding states – New York, Ohio, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
Jason Dawkins (D-Hiladelphia) said the sponsor of the Middle Kingdom, chairman of the work and industry committee. Bill He is trying to compromise with Republicans who have long warned about the potential impact on companies, especially in smaller poviats with lower maintenance costs.
“Since I was the chairman, we tried to come up with a different approach to do this,” said Dawkins Capital Star. “This time we had a little more insight into where our challenges are, especially in the fact that some of our poviats were worried too quickly, and some did not feel comfortable, they will exceed over 12 USD.”
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AND Previous account Sponsored by Dawkins, the chamber passed in 2023, but died in the Senate controlled by the Republicans. And in 2019 the Senate has passed ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT BY DEMOCHATIC To raise it to USD 9.25, which died in the then controlled house by GOP.
Dawkins’ last account would gradually escalate the minimum wage, reaching USD 15 in most poviats on January 1, 2028. This would also raise the final minimum wage from 2.83 to 60% minimum.
Poviats with populations below 210,000, with the exception of Center, Monroe and Pike poviats, only saw that the minimum wage increased to 12 USD at the same time. A spokesman for the Democratic Club said that three smaller poviats were placed in the $ 15 range at the request of democratic members who represent them.
One exception from gradual growth to USD 15 would be Philadelphia, which is represented by Dawkins. There, the minimum wage would escalate to USD 15 on January 1, 2026.
“Philadelphia has the highest population of people who are at the level of deep poverty,” said Dawkins.
He added that there is a special need, considering the possibility that some of these people may lose access to federal benefits, such as Medicaid and food assist Proposed account Passing through the US Congress controlled by GOP.
“We wanted to have a security network there because we know that these people can lose their benefits and other services,” he said.
But Dawkins’ attempt to offer olive branches to Legislators GOP in the form of a gradual journey and a lower goal in diminutive poviats failed in its own chamber. Each republican from home voted against the act, and many criticized it during a two -hour debate on the floor on Wednesday afternoon.
“Not every salary is designed as a wage that can be lived,”, the leader of the minority Jesse Topper (R-Bedford) “My 16-year-old son does not work for life-related remuneration. Someone who is retired and helps in part-time hours, this is not necessarily a salary that can be lived.”
He also warned that raising the minimum wage could eliminate low -wage jobs, especially the damage to diminutive businesses.
Others opposed the regulations themselves, which Dawkins said they were aimed at gaining bilateral support.
Rep. Kate Klun (R-York) warned that creating various minimum wages in various poviats can lead to confusion for companies that poviat lines, or encourage company owners to set up a store in which the pay is lower.
“This minimum wage-based mosaic based on the unit will be a mess,” said Klunk. As examples, she used examples of companies with locations in York and Adams, including golf courses, which pass to the border between them.
“This bill is really impossible,” she said. “It’s a nightmare of compliance.”
Rep. Mike Jones (R-York) was one of the few Republicans who signaled openness to raising the minimum wage during the debate, but said he couldn’t support Dawkins.
“I praise the majority of the chairman for what I think is an attempt in good faith in a reasonable compromise,” he said.
He added, however, that he would like to see exceptions to the minimum wage for non-profit organization and high school people.
“Potential of finding the center”
To become a law, the law will have to pass a controlled Senate with Republican.
The leader of the majority of the Senate, Joe Pittman (R-Indiana), said that there may be a compromise on the escalate in the minimum wage, especially if he is paired with republican deregulation efforts, which, as he said, can assist escalate “maximum jobs”.
“Make sure that working families have access to good work related to their native, is the key to the help of our community of nations in development and development,” said Pittman in the Capital Star statement. “There is a potential for finding [sic] The middle ground for growth, but all possible activities would have to be a healthy adaptation and sensitivity to influence on changes on small companies and non-profit organizations. “
Republican Senator Dan Laughlin (R-Erie), who had previously introduced an invoice for raising the minimum wage to USD 15, praised the Chamber’s efforts, but said that he would not support the act with the approach of the Funny.
“Although I appreciate the fact that the house is trying to develop a conversation, I do not support HB 1549 in its current form, “said Laughlin We -mail.” The minimum wage is associated with the size of the Fountain simply deepens the economic divisions with which we should deal “.
Laughlin was an early republican supporter of raising the minimum wage to USD 15 in Pennsylvania. But national trends may indicate greater openness from his party members.
On Tuesday, the conservative US senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) introduced an invoice for raising the minimum wage to USD 15 for all Americans.
He NBC News said“If we are a party of working people, we must do something for working people. And working people have not had a raise for years. So they need a raise. “
His comments reflect openness to the growing appeal of his party to the working class voters, which was observable in the last universal elections, in which the departure from their time-honored support of Democrats.
Dawkins, sponsor of Bill Pennsylvania, is also aware of the changes and hopes that he will assist the act get support that he must go through.
“I am excited about perspectives, but I am also disappointed that there may be a federal minimum wage, which will be higher than the state minimum wage – and is offered by one of the most conservative members of the Congress,” he joked. “But I hope that this will help people come to this idea.”
“I believe that we were chosen for this,” he added.
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