Speaking of minimum wages, this past week the US House Education and Labor Committee held a full committee hearing on the Raise the Wage Act (H.582 – filed by Sanders, House Chairman Bobby Scott and a host of others) that lasted better than 7 hours. The bill would mandate an increase in the current $7.25…
Read More »The Florida Supreme Court rejected local minimum wages this week when it dismissed an appeal brought by the city of Miami Beach. Recall that Miami Beach passed its own minimum wage in excess of the state minimum (currently $8.46 per hour as of 1/1/19) back in 2016, setting a local minimum wage that would gradually…
Read More »As we predicted over the past few weeks, New Jersey gave its official blessing to more minimum wage increases up to $15 per hour effective by 2024 yesterday when both branches of the New Jersey legislature passed S.15 and sent it on to the Governor. The bill has enjoyed support from Governor Phil Murphy for…
Read More »After battling all through last year over the issue, democrat NJ Governor Phil Murphy agreed with the democratic-controlled legislature on a bill that will lead to a state minimum wage of $15 per hour as soon as 2024. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, who has not always seen eye to eye with Murphy, finally brokered the…
Read More »The minimum wage issue continues to be debated in a number of state houses across the country, with several looking to roll back new mandates. In Arkansas, republican state senator Bob Ballinger filed legislation to partially undo a ballot initiative passed by the state voters in November. Senate Bill 115 would exempt anyone under the…
Read More »Earlier this year, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development adopted regulations requiring employers to report wage and premium reports electronically. The electronic filing requirement becomes effective on January 1, 2019 for all employers. The regulation also provides for an exemption for those employers for whom the requirement creates a hardship. In those instances,…
Read More »With the upcoming turn of the calendar, a host of new cities and states will mandate paid leave for employees of private businesses. The new paid sick leave law in Washington state becomes effective on January 1 and is structured as somewhat of a government-sponsored “insurance” program, funded in part by employers with monies deducted…
Read More »The current push for increasing minimum wages really began back in 2012, but it doesn’t seem to be slowing much at all. But first, let’s look at the exception that proves the rule. With democrat Gretchen Whitmer poised to take over as Michigan Governor from republican incumbent Rick Snyder, the republican state senate voted Wednesday…
Read More »As we’ve advised in the past, questions on raising the minimum wage were put to the voters in both Arkansas and Missouri this week and unfortunately, voters in both states agreed with advocates and approved the initiatives. In Arkansas, the current $8.50 minimum will increase to $9.25 in January 2019, then to $10 per hour…
Read More »On the question of minimum wage increases before the voters, there’s good news and bad news for you this week. First off, in Washington DC, the DC City Council, as expected, has taken its second and final vote officially repealing Initiative 77, passed by the voters back in June. The ballot measure not only mandated…
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