State Senate Passes Sub Standard Minimum Wage Bill

The Pennsylvania Senate voted yesterday to approve a minimum wage bill. Because it is flawed and differs from the House version it goes to a conference committee. The vote was 36-14. The Senate bill allows employers with fewer than 10 full time employees to be exempt. What this Republican provision would do is create two classes of workers, those who get paid a decent wage and those who don't. It will also make it very difficult for small employers to find workers. Why work for someone with a very small business if you can earn $2/hour more for someone else. If I were that employee I would also worry about the viability of any business not able to pay the minimum wage. I'd stay very clear of any such poorly managed business.

In effect Republicans in Harrisburg are willing to subsidize incompetence at the expense of workers. Let's get this right, it isn't as if it's rocket science, and get a bill to the Governor by June 30th. Failure will be one more issue for all this fall's challengers, as if they need another.