Raise the Wage!
The minimum wage has not gone up in
10 years. Kentucky workers deserve better.
The current minimum wage is $5.15 an hour, or $206 for a 40-hour week — $10,712 a year before taxes. This is $5,400 below the poverty line for a family of three. Many single parents are working full time, but are still unable to support their families. The minimum wage is not only an outdated wage, but an unjust and immoral wage, as well.
House Bill 305, House Bill 206
KFTC's positions: FOR
| Summary |
House Bill 305 originally called for an increase to $7 an hour this year and indexed annual increases in the minimum wage to cost-of-living increases. In addition, HB 305 applied to tipped workers who now may receive only $2.16 an hour in wages. House Bill 206 became important only after House Leaders required the gutting of HB 305 before committee passage. HB 305 no longer covers tipped workers, is no longer indexed for inflation and will be phased in to $7.25 an hour over the next nearly two and half years. HB 206 called for setting the minimum wage for tipped workers at 60% of the state minimum. |
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| Outcome |
Thousands of Kentucky workers will get a modest raise over the next two years after HB 305 was passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Fletcher! HISTORY: A much-weakened HB 305 was approved by the House Labor & Industry Committee on Feb. 15, and won passage by the full House, 89-10, on Feb. 21 The amended bill no longer applies to tipped workers or indexes the minimum wage to cost-of-living increases. It provides for an immediate increase to $5.85 an hour, an increase to $6.55 an hour on July 1, 2008, and an increase to $7.25 an hour on July 1, 2009 (mirroring federal legislation pending in Congress). On March 6 the Senate Economic Development, Tourism & Labor Committee approved the bill but added an amendment that allows companies receiving economic development incentives from the state to use the current minimum in their "base wage calculations" until July 2008. The amended bill passed the Senate 33-1 and the House concurred with Senate changes 93-5. A weakened HB 206 passed the House Labor & Industry Committee on Feb. 22. As amended, it required the minimum for tipped employees to be only 42% of the state minimum, though this does mean it would rise as the state minimum wage rose. However, HB 206 died on the House floor. |
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Download a copy of HB 206 or HB 305.
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