Minimum Wage Bill Sent To Governor Dayton

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s minimum wage will climb to $9.50 by 2016 and go up automatically in future years under legislation bound for Gov. Mark Dayton’s signature.
The Minnesota House gave final approval Thursday to a bill raising Minnesota’s minimum in three stages.  When fully phased in, Minnesota will go from having one of the nation’s lowest minimum wages to one of the highest. The floor wage required of most employers will climb from $6.15 per hour to $8 per hour in August. It goes to $9 next year and $9.50 the year after. In future years, the rate could rise by 2.5 percent through an inflationary mechanism. Minnesota last raised its minimum wage in 2005.

President Barack Obama is praising Minnesota lawmakers for raising the state's minimum wage.  In a statement, Obama says Minnesota joins a growing number of states, cities, counties and businesses that have taken action to "do the right thing for their workers and their citizens."  Obama also urged Congress to take action to raise the federal minimum wage, which is currently $7.25 an hour.