Louisiana lawmakers on Wednesday rejected an annual effort to raise the minimum wage one day after advancing a bill that would more than double legislators' pay in a state where one in five people live below the poverty rate.
Democratic Alexandria Rep. Ed Larvadain's House Bill 374 would have established a state minimum wage of $10 per hour beginning in 2024 before gradually raising it to $14 in 2028, but opponents argued it would be a hardship on businesses and create job losses.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour and hasn't been changed since 2008.
"Our citizens are hurting and struggling to survive," Larvadain said. "We must do better. This is a time we must act. Louisiana is losing (population) while other southern states are growing."
But members of the House Labor Committee voted 9-5 to kill the bill. A second minimum wage bill is scheduled to be heard in the Senate, but if that bill somehow cleared the Senate it would have to return to House Labor.
Republican Abita Springs Rep. Larry Frieman said he isn't aware of any business in his district that doesn't voluntarily pay more than the minimum wage and disputed Larvadain theory that Louisiana is losing population because it doesn't have a minimum wage that exceeds federal law.
"People are moving to Texas and Texas has a $7.25 minimum wage," Frieman said. "$7.25 isn't running people out of the state. The reason people are leaving is for better opportunities."
Democratic Natchitoches Rep. Kenny Cox, who voted...
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