Two Track Approach In NJ To Raising Minimum Wage
TRENTON, N.J., (CBS) -- Efforts are planned in Trenton and Washington to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour over time.
South Jersey Congressman Donald Norcross is formally introducing a bill he announced last month to take the minimum wage higher across the country. He waited once he talked to State Senate President Steve Sweeney, who suggested a dual approach to Norcross.
"As we were preparing my bill for Congress, Steve and I had had conversations along with Lou Greenwald on how this would impact New Jersey and it would be a good idea for us to do it together," Norcross told KYW Newsradio.
Greenwald will sponsor a bill in the Assembly, Sweeney in the Senate to propose a constitutional amendment to take New Jersey's minimum to $15, like Norcross's bill, in stages. Both would also provide tax incentives to small businesses that go above the prevailing minimum wage on their own.
Norcross insists he wants his bill to be the law of the land, " but given the pace of doing business in Washington, I think taking both approaches is the best way to make sure that those who need it most will actually get something done."
New Jersey's minimum wage is higher than the federal rate, and raises are tied to inflation. Taking the constitutional amendment route in the state, as opposed to a traditional bill, would bypass the possibility of a veto from Governor Chris Christie.