A higher minimum wage is one step closer to reality in Pennsylvania, after it passed in the state House on June 20.
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A higher minimum wage is one step closer to reality in Pennsylvania, after it passed in the State House on June 20.
Under the proposed law, Pennsylvania’s minimum wage of $7.25 per hour would grow to $15 per hour by 2026, then rise with inflation. The tipped minimum wage would be 60 percent of the minimum wage, rising to $9 per hour by 2026.
Many restaurant worker unions support the change, but some small business owners said they couldn’t afford to pay servers more than three times their current wages.
“I don’t know [if I could survive that]. That’s a tough question,” said Armando Martinez, president of Roxy’s Cafe in Harrisburg. “It’s going to be tough, but I have to maybe raise my prices, too, if I want to survive.”
House Democrats said they empathized with business owners but pointed out that all of Pennsylvania’s neighboring states have a higher wage floor.
“I know small business owners, it’s a challenge to keep their doors open, but you have to balance it out with giving their workers a living wage,” said State Rep. Patty Kim (D-Dauphin).
The bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where Republican leadership has been wary of raising the minimum wage.
However, some Republicans have expressed support. State Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) introduce a similar bill in May. He wrote in a statement:
“Clearly the private sector has already...
A La Habra-based provider of positron emission tomography scan services has agreed to pay more than $8.3 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act by offering improper payment...