Democratic members of the House Appropriations Committee expressed concerns that the state budget agreement the committee approved Monday does not include an increase in the state’s minimum wage.
State Rep. Patty Kim (D-Dauphin) says not including an increase in the state’s minimum wage in the budget agreement sends a bad message to workers.
“With the economy doing better and unemployment down, this was the best time to raise the minimum wage,” Kim said.
But House Appropriation Committee’s Vice Chair, Representative George Dunbar (R-Westmoreland) says an increase in the minimum wage should not be part of the budget.
“A substantive issue like this should not be part of the General Assembly bill,” Dunbar said. “It should be brought up separately.”
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf had proposed raising the state’s minimum wage to $12 an hour immediately and to $15 an hour by 2025.