NJ Legislature To Send Christie Minimum Wage Bill Today
TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) - The New Jersey Legislature is expected to send Gov. Chris Christie a bill increasing the minimum wage after the Assembly takes a final technical vote on Monday.
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The bill increases the minimum wage by $1.25 per hour to $8.50, and allows automatic adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index.
"You put in a good day's work. You should have a livable wage to be able to support your family," St. Sen. Ray Lesniak told WCBS 880 reporter Levon Putney.
"No one's ever negotiated with me on minimum wage," said Christie, saying he wanted to talk it over and was willing to at least consider a minimum wage hike. "Let's be clear on this now. We've got thousands of businesses now wiped out."
The governor asks if this the time to make them pay more for each worker, come March 1.
The Legislature is also advancing a resolution that would place the wage increase before voters next November.
Democrats want the question on the ballot if Christie vetoes the bill, which they expect.
The Republican governor hasn't said publicly what he'll do. But Senate President Steve Sweeney says Christie told him privately he would not sign a bill containing automatic wage adjustments.
Senate Republicans say businesses recovering from the hurricane can't afford a wage increase now, which could also be Christie's position.
Do you think now is the time to impose a minimum wage hike? Sound off below.
(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
