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Bill to Raise Kentucky's Minimum Wage Passes House

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A bill that would increase Kentucky’s minimum wage to $10.10 over the course of three years has passed the state House of Representatives. 

Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo was the bill’s sponsor. He said similar legislation didn’t gain traction in the Republican-led Senate last year because it was an election year.

“It was a political issue, it was a big political year. Well, that election has come and gone, the bill was not adopted,” Stumbo said. “So this year let’s make it different: I challenge you to do, those of you who were here in 2007, to do what you did back then.”

In 2007, the Kentucky legislature passed a law that tied the state’s minimum wage to the federal minimum wage rate, which is currently $7.25 per hour.

President Robert Stivers said he doesn’t think the minimum wage hike will pass his body this year, either.

“I don’t think that’s the direction we need to be looking at high wage jobs, and I say high wage jobs, I want to make that clear, not creating a culture of minimum wage jobs,” Stivers said.

The bill also contains a provision that guarantees equal pay for men and women.

Erica Peterson is a reporter and Kentucky Public Radio correspondent based out of WFPL in Louisville, Kentucky.
Ryland Barton is the Managing Editor for Collaboratives for Kentucky Public Radio, a group of public radio stations including WKMS, WFPL in Louisville, WEKU in Richmond and WKYU in Bowling Green. A native of Lexington, Ryland most recently served as the Capitol Reporter for Kentucky Public Radio. He has covered politics and state government for NPR member stations KWBU in Waco and KUT in Austin.
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