(The Center Square) – Democrats are making another push to increase the North Carolina’s minimum wage, though if history is any indication, the effort will face stiff headwinds in the General Assembly.
North Carolina is among 15 states that set minimum wage based on the federal standard, while 30 states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages above the federal level and five states do not impose a minimum wage, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Democrats introduced House Bill 541 on Monday to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour through a series of five increases between 2023 and 2027. If passed, the law would make increases happen each of those years' Labor Day starting with $8 per hour this September, $9.50 in 2024, $11 in 2025, $13 in 2026, and $15 in 2027.
In addition, HB541 would implement a slew of other employment-related changes. This includes mandating equal pay for both sexes conducting the same work, requiring sick leave time, prohibiting tips counted as wages, and restrictions on employers asking about criminal history in the hiring process.
Two bills introduced by Senate Democrats on Monday would also increase the minimum wage: Senate Bill 440 and Senate Bill 447.
The former would increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour on Jan. 1, 2024, while the latter takes a phased in approach similar to the House legislation, though in three phases instead of five.
Under SB447, the minimum wage would go to $10.35 on Jan. 1, 2024, then to $15 on...
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