Legislation Quick Search
03/29/2024 02:51 AM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20190&cosponId=30013
Share:
Home / Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Subscribe to PaLegis Notifications
NEW!

Subscribe to receive notifications of new Co-Sponsorship Memos circulated

By Member | By Date | Keyword Search


Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: July 26, 2019 09:13 AM
From: Senator Daylin Leach
To: All Senate members
Subject: Minimum Wage
 
Soon I will re-introduce legislation to raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania to $15 per hour and permanently index it to inflation.

US unemployment is at a two-decade low and corporate profits are at an all-time high, but wages have stagnated for the average worker in Pennsylvania. Low-wage workers have endured a decades-long decrease in their purchasing power; the minimum wage’s purchasing power peaked in 1968. Since the last time the minimum wage increased in 2009, the value has decreased by 14.8 percent. As a result, Pennsylvanians have had to take second jobs, increase their hours, and cut back on their spending.

People who work full-time should not have to struggle to make ends meet. It is immoral that we have Pennsylvanians struggling to provide necessities for their families while corporations are reaping record profits. The $15 rate is what is required to lift minimum wage workers with families out of poverty. Keep in mind that if the original federal minimum wage had kept pace with labor productivity, it would now be over $21 per hour.

This bill was known as Senate Bill 150 in the 2017-2018 session. It was cosponsored by Senators Fontana, Costa, and Hughes.

I hope you will join me in sponsoring this important legislation and bring Pennsylvania in line with the eight other states that have enacted legislation raising their minimum wage to $15.

If you have questions about this legislation, please don’t hesitate to contact me.



Introduced as SB813