RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Democrats in the Virginia Senate want to increase the minimum wage by 2 dollars an hour.
The upper chamber voted 20-20 Tuesday, with Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam casting the deciding vote, to set the state’s minimum wage at $8.25 this year, and $9.25 in 2015.
The current wage is $7.25 an hour.
People were interested in these podcasts
Tuesday was the last day for the Senate to approve its own bills, and the minimum wage increase was one of the last orders of business.
During a lengthy debate on the bill, Republicans said a minimum wage hike would hurt the low-income workers the bill was designed to help.
But Democratic supporters of the measure said creating higher wages for lower earners was a “moral” issue.
The measure will likely find little support in the GOP-controlled House.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.