A Kentucky House committee agreed to send Speaker Greg Stumbo’s minimum wage bill to the House floor Thursday. And while the Democratic leader is confident the bill will once again pass his chamber, few expect a warm greeting in the Senate.
To anyone following the issue, this year’s bill won’t contain any surprises. Again, Stumbo is asking the legislature to approve an incremental increase that would bump the minimum wage up to $10.10 over three years – a move he says makes economic sense, even if the idea has becoming polarizing.
"It's become a political issue if you want to know the truth. It started obviously with the debate in Washington and it became a partisan issue and it's filtered down here," he told reporters.
But opponents, including Shannon Stiglitz with the Kentucky Retail Association, maintain raising the wage carries real costs, not just to businesses but to shoppers.
"Consumer prices will increase or tough decisions will have to made among retailers," she said. "Do they cut hours? Do they have fewer employees? How do they cut benefits?
The bill easily passed committee with three “no” votes, all from Republicans.
