States around Pennsylvania will raise their minimum wages on January 1st, while Pennsylvania will remain stuck with a minimum wage that hasn’t been raised since 2009.
In Harrisburg, House Democrats and Senate Republicans simply cannot seem to agree on the appropriate minimum wage for this state.
On January 1, the minimum wage in around half of the states in the United States will increase; Pennsylvania is not expected to be one of those states.
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa stated that it is extremely embarrassing for Pennsylvania to be the only state—we’re an island among all the other states that surround us—that has raised its minimum wage annually for the previous few years.
Pennsylvania’s minimum hourly wage has been fixed at $7.25 for the past 15 years; meanwhile, Ohio, Maryland, and New York will raise their minimum wages to $10, $15, and $16, respectively, on January 1. Many fear that the reason for this state’s population decline is greater earnings elsewhere.
Read Also: 2023 Pharma’s Greatest Hits: Weight Loss Drugs to Alzheimer’s Treatments and Gene Editing
Political Divide Hinders Minimum Wage Increase in Pennsylvania as Senate Republicans Resist Negotiations
Why isn’t the minimum wage increasing as it was passed by the Democratic-controlled state House in June of last year, to $11 in 2024, $13 in 2025, and $15 in 2026? Because the state Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, never forwarded any version of its own to the House or held a vote on it.
Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa asserts that the party in charge of the Senate has an impact. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman was not available for an on-camera interview. Pittman has the power to call a vote on a minimum wage measure at any time.
Pittman issued a statement stating that although our caucus is open to a minimum wage agreement, House Democrats and the Governor have not indicated that they would be willing to negotiate a more reasonable adjustment. Pittman has made this apparent both publicly and privately.
Costa claims that although Senate Republicans, who now control the chamber, have not prioritized a compromise raise, Democrats are more than willing to talk about it.
Read Also: UK and US Women Accused of Attacking Staff, Claiming Hostage Situation Over Pricing Dispute
