PROVIDENCE – A proposal to increase the state minimum wage to $15 an hour over four years was approved by the House on Thursday.
The 57-16 vote on the bill sponsored by Rep. David Bennett, D-Warwick, came after nearly an hour of discussion and several failed amendments, mostly from Republican lawmakers who voiced concerns with how the wage hikes would impact small businesses. A number of businesses and business organizations expressed similar opposition in prior public hearings and in interviews with PBN.
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As proposed, the incremental wage hike would start with an increase to $12.25 (the current rate is $11.50) on Jan. 1 2022, with subsequent annual increases through Jan. 1, 2025 when wages would hit $15 per hour.
The measure is intended to help Rhode Island stay competitive with neighboring states. Both Massachusetts and Connecticut have approved incremental wage increases that will reach $15 per hour in 2023.
Companion legislation has already passed in the Senate. Each chamber has to approve the other’s bill before a final version heads to Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s desk. Whether McKee, a staunch small-business advocate, will support the legislation is unclear.
