Proposed Bill Would Raise Arkansas Minimum Wage by $2 an Hour
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: March 5, 2013
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansans could be seeing an increase in minimum wage.
Right now the state minimum wage sits at $6.25 per hour, a full dollar below the federal minimum wage.
Arkansas is one of four states in that situation, but a proposed bill in the House would raise the minimum wage to $8.25.
The sponsor says he's heard from businesses who worry about the cost, but he believes it needs to be raised.
"We are, we're just on the low end of minimum wage," Rep. Butch Wilkins says. "If I thought businesses were going to close over it, I wouldn't be doing this."
Rep. Wilkins will try to get enough votes to advance his bill on Tuesday.
Continuing Coverage:
Right now the state minimum wage sits at $6.25 per hour, a full dollar below the federal minimum wage.
Arkansas is one of four states in that situation, but a proposed bill in the House would raise the minimum wage to $8.25.
The sponsor says he's heard from businesses who worry about the cost, but he believes it needs to be raised.
"We are, we're just on the low end of minimum wage," Rep. Butch Wilkins says. "If I thought businesses were going to close over it, I wouldn't be doing this."
Rep. Wilkins will try to get enough votes to advance his bill on Tuesday.
Continuing Coverage:
Comments
Why do media sites keep mentioning the state minimum wage? From the DoL web site "Many states also have minimum wage laws. Where an employee is subject to both the state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher minimum wage rate." That makes the old $6.25 completely invalid and therefore irrelevant.
Kell R.
March 5, 2013 at 12:09 pm
