A bill that would raise the minimum
wage in West Virginia
The original bill called for the
minimum wage to increase from the current $7.25 an hour to $7.85 an hour July
1st and then rise again to $8.25 in July 2015. The new bill, passed by the
committee Thursday, would increase the wage to $8.00 beginning Jan. 1, 2015 and
then increase it to $8.75 an hour Jan. 1, 2016.
Del. Doug Skaff, D-Kanawha, said he
favored the change because it gives businesses more time to prepare.
“I think it takes into
consideration many things in planning from a business standpoint,” Skaff said.
It’s estimated the increase would
help about 100,000 state residents. The state says 26 percent of all jobs in West Virginia
Del. Daryl Cowles, R-Morgan,
expressed concern of the increase in cost to the state.
“What programs would be cut based
on the fiscal note that’s attached to the bill?” Cowles asked. “The (state)
Division of Labor wants to hire 10 or 11 new workers just to run compliance on
the bill.”
The measure now heads to the full
House for consideration.
Cowles and Del. Marty Gearheart,
R-Mercer, were the only committee members to vote against the bill.
