Speak Up: House passes $15 minimum wage, sends bill to governor

After one of the most impactful votes the General Assembly has taken in years, legislation to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 is now before Gov. John Carney. In a 26-15 party-line vote, the House of Representatives approved a bill to increase the wage floor from $9.25 in a series of steps Thursday. The bill passed the Senate with solely Democratic support in March. Per his office, Gov. Carney backs a $15 minimum wage. Senate Bill 15 would start by increasing the wage to $10.50 in 2022, followed by $11.75 in 2023 and $13.25 in 2024 before hitting $15 in 2025.

• Well, there goes half our jobs. Cool. — Michael Joseph

• I made that 16 years ago at the top of the wage ladder at a union job. Prices will go up. — Tom Small

• What bothers me about this is that the vote went on party lines. Can’t the Democrats and Republicans representatives think for themselves? They should do what is best for the people. I bet most have not read the bill or find research regarding the bill, just voted what the party demands. Sad. Bryan Shupe was right. At least research the bill before voting. — Thomas J. Chilton

• That happened with the Bloom Energy debacle! Multiple representatives stated that they didn’t read the bill and would not have voted for it. So, we continue to pay for this loosing deal with Bloom Energy. — Cal William

• Minimimum wage laws have never been best for the people, so supporting one is never a good idea. — Rob Holley

• Now people can stop whining. Retired individuals don’t even get $15 an hour for Social Security. I want to see you live on $15 an hour. Have some ambition and earn what you make. Apply yourself and you can make twice that much in a few years. — Jack Jordan

• So you agree? That $15 an hour still isn’t enough? People have been working hard this whole time, production has gone up steadily, yet wage growths have stagnated since the 80s. It's high time people start getting paid what they're worth. — Pete Schonert

• Government doesn’t determine what your value is, markets do. — Rob Holley

• That's why workers should act in unison to effect pay change. An organized yet small group (capitalists) will defeat a large and unorganized group (the labor force without unions) every time. — Pete Schonert

• Too many people can't think beyond their own wants. They also don't understand that every action has cost. — Bill Smith

• Agreed. The CEOs of the megacorps should understand that subsidized business incentives only hurt the areas they serve, and that their massive incomes and bonuses are only made possible by the exploitation of the workers. — Pete Schonert