While many states hike minimum wage on Jan. 1, partisan divide in Harrisburg obstructs increase in Pennsylvania
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- On Jan. 1, states all around Pennsylvania will increase their minimum wage, but once again, Pennsylvania is still stuck at a minimum wage that hasn't gone up since 2009.
House Democrats and Senate Republicans in Harrisburg just can't seem to agree on what this state's minimum wage should be.
About half the states in the U.S. are boosting their minimum wages on Jan. 1, but don't look for Pennsylvania to be among them.
"It is quite an embarrassment for Pennsylvania to be the only state – we're an island among all the other states who surround us who over the past several years, each and every year have increased their minimum wages," said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa.
While Pennsylvania's minimum hourly rate has been stuck at $7.25 for 15 years, on Jan. 1, Ohio's minimum goes to $10 an hour, Maryland to $15 an hour, and New York to $16 an hour. Many worry that better wages elsewhere explain this state's population loss.
"This is an important issue for all the folks around the border parts of Pennsylvania where the states next to them have higher minimum wage. We're losing workers to those states," Costa said.
Last June, the Democratic-controlled state House did pass a bill to raise the minimum wage to $11 in 2024, $13 in 2025, and $15 in 2026, so why isn't that happening? Because the Republican-controlled state Senate never voted on it or sent the House any version of their own.
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa says it matters which party controls the Senate.
"There's no question if Democrats were in control of the state Senate, we would have a minimum wage increase, and my guess would be that it would ramp up over the course of the next three years to roughly around $12 to $15 in that space," Costa said.
Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, who has authority to schedule a vote on a minimum wage proposal any time he wishes, was not available to comment on camera. In a statement, Pittman said, "I have made it quite clear both publicly and privately, that our caucus is open to a compromise on minimum wage, but unfortunately House Democrats and the Governor have shown no willingness to consider a more reasonable adjustment."
Costa says Democrats are quite willing to discuss a compromise increase but, so far, that hasn't been a priority of Senate Republicans who control the chamber.
"We can sit down at the table, work with our House colleagues, bring closure to the issue. As I mentioned at the outset, I think we'd like to do something, but we just have to figure out the details, and that's what we haven't been able to do because we haven't had focus on it. I think if we could get there, we could get something done."
Will 2024 be the year leaders Pittman and Costa can reach agreement and pass a Senate minimum wage increase bill?
