By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD — The House turned down an attempt to raise the minimum wage in New Hampshire to $15 an hour over three years, but did give initial approval to a bill requiring employers to compensate workers with unused vacation when they leave employment.
Wednesday’s session also saw the House give initial approval to a series of bills enhancing the benefits for Group II members of the NH Retirement Systems with a cost-of-living increase and rolling back reforms instigated more than a decade ago done to shore up the system.
The House voted down House Bill 57, 183-178, which would increase the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $13.50 the first year, to $14.25 the second and $15 the third year.
The bill would have also restored a state minimum wage, which was eliminated in the 2011 session so the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is the limit in the state.
Supporters of the bill said there is strong support for a $15 minimum wage in the state from both Republicans and Democrats.
“This is not a radical thing we are throwing at people,” said Rep. Kristina Schultz, D-Concord. “All our neighbors are on the path or at $15 an hour.”
She noted that over 110,000 people in the state make the minimum wage, which is down about 25 percent from a year ago, but still a lot of people.
The minimum wage was never intended to bring broad prosperity to everybody, but instead to keep people out of poverty, she said.
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