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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 19, 2013 10:02 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Mark B. Cohen |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Minimum Wage Legislation (recirculation of memo) |
| I am preparing to reintroduce HB 2609 that would increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania from $7.15 to $9.00. This legislation parallels President Obama’s recent announcement calling for an increase in the minimum wage to $9.00 per hour, with subsequent increases in line with inflation. According to the House and Human Services (HHS) Poverty Guidelines for 2013, an annual income of $19,530 would place a family of three at the poverty line. Pennsylvania’s current minimum wage of $7.15 allows that same family to earn only $14,872 - less than the HHS guidelines for a family of two. Eight states, (California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington), plus the District of Columbia, currently have a minimum wage equal to or above $8.00. Many of the states have also adopted a Cost-of-Living (COLA) or an adjustment using the Consumer Price Index for urban populations. Eighteen states have passed minimum wage rates above the federal minimum of $7.25. Further, legislatures in our neighboring states of New York and New Jersey have bills before them that would raise the minimum wage, as well as provide a COLA in future years. Accordingly, I am introducing legislation to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $9.00 to be effective within 30 days of passage of this legislation and adjustments calculated on the regional CPI-U for PA, NJ DE and MD beginning in January 2015. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Seidl of my office at kseidl@pahouse.net or 787-4116. Co-sponsors of HB 2609: THOMAS, DEAN, BISHOP, K. BOYLE, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, BROWNLEE, CALTAGIRONE, D. COSTA, DALEY, DEASY, DeLUCA, DONATUCCI, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GOODMAN, HORNAMAN, JAMES, JOSEPHS, W. KELLER, MURPHY, NEILSON, M. O'BRIEN, PARKER, SABATINA, SCHMOTZER, WATERS, WILLIAMS, YOUNGBLOOD AND FABRIZIO |
Introduced as HB1057