Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed the
minimum wage increase into law Tuesday night while also asking state lawmakers
to change the bill before it takes effect June 8.
Tomblin said HB 4283 makes the right
move by increasing the hourly minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.75 by 2016, but he
contends it includes “unintended consequences” regarding overtime exemptions.
“What we’ve always operated under are the federal
exemptions for seasonal employees, for hospitals, for nursing homes and there’s
a problem there,” Tomblin told reporters at the state capitol earlier Tuesday.
“There’s a lot of problems with our (municipal) fire departments and police
departments. It’s going to cost the cities hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
The overtime language in the new law
trumps the federal exemptions, though the governor doesn’t expect those to last
long. In a statement released Tuesday night, Tomblin pledged:
“I
will call the Legislature into extraordinary session during the May interims,
beginning May 19, 2014, to address the issues of great concern to businesses
large and small—including the fiscal challenges expected to affect our local
governments. President Kessler and Speaker Miley have both committed to
working with me to achieve this ultimate goal.”
Sen. President Jeff Kessler, who
praised the governor for signing the bill, said changes can be made by
lawmakers before the June 8 effective date.
“Signing this piece of legislation is
not only the right thing to do for the state’s workers; it will also help the
state’s economy. This bill puts more money in the pockets of hard working
West Virginians , who in turn spend their money
locally. This is a very positive measure for our state,” Kessler said.
House of Delegates Speaker Tim Miley
said the House would work with the governor on his concerns.
“The House of Delegates stands willing to continue working
with Governor Tomblin and the Senate to ensure that the increased minimum wage
has no adverse impact on the overtime laws that employers in the state are
accustomed to following.”
The House and Senate originally did not
agree on the legislation. The Senate wanted the $1.50 increase spread over
three years instead of two, but the House got its way on the last night on the
regular session. Tomblin also said he preferred the three-year plan.
The minimum wage increase is expected to impact more than
100,000 state residents.
