State Senate Approves Bill To Raise Minimum Wage

SACRAMENTO (AP) — California's minimum wage would rise to $10 an hour within three years under a bill that is all but certain to head to Gov. Jerry Brown, giving the state one of the highest statewide rates in the nation.

Washington state currently has the top minimum wage, at $9.19 an hour, an amount that is pegged to rise with inflation. Some cities, including San Francisco, have set higher minimum wages.

The state Senate approved AB10 on Thursday, sending it back to the Assembly for a final vote later in the day that will be a mere formality before it goes to the governor. Brown has said he supports it.

If signed into law, the bill would gradually raise California's minimum wage from the current $8 an hour to $10 by 2016.

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