With DFL state chair Ken Martin calling for all Minnesota Republican elected officials, candidates and party leaders to repudiate Andrea Kieffer's ludicious remarks labeling bills in the Women's Economic Security Act (WESA) "whining," it's a good thing the conference committee on the minimum wage is finally meeting again at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon.
Raising the state minimum wage is one piece of WESA.
Via the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Associated Press reports in Minnesota minimum wage bill negotiations to resume:
. . .The committee hasn't met since early in March after getting bogged down.
There seems to be consensus about raising the state's minimum wage from $6.15 per hour to $9.50 per hour. How fast remains a point of discussion. There's also dispute about whether to automatically hike the wage in future years to account for inflation.
Senate Democrats say they lack the needed votes to pass a bill with an automatic bump later on. Rep. Ryan Winkler, the chief House negotiator, says he isn't backing away from that provision and will make a new offer that still includes an inflation measure.
Since constructing our Constituent Whip Count, we've been hearing that enough DFL senators will vote for the conference committee bill without objection to the future wage hikes that an indexed proposal would contain.
Here's hoping that the DFL majorities can move on the minimum wage. It's not prudent to denounce Republican stupidity on WESA while one DFL-controlled chamber blocks a key part of the omnibus package.
Meme: Speaks for itself.
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