Once again the House Labor Committee voted down proposals to increase the minimum wage. Bossier City Representative Raymond Crews says he’s concerned that increasing the minimum wage from the current $7.25 an hour will result in job losses.
“Who would it hurt to raise the minimum wage and I’ll argue those are the people who don’t have it already, it’s going to make it harder for them to enter the workplace,” said Crews.
Baton Rouge Representative Denise Marcelle disagrees that a higher minimum wage will lead to fewer jobs.
“I don’t know about your part of the state where you live, but in Baton Rouge everywhere I drive there’s a sign for hire, so the jobs are there,” said Marcelle.
Marcelle believes raising the minimum wage will lead to more people entering the workforce and she had a proposal to increase the minimum wage to 12-dollars an hour.
“So why would go to work for $7.25 an hour, if you can’t get it to at least $10.00 an hour and pay more for your daycare than what you are making at your job,” said Marcelle.
As we’ve seen in years past, business groups lobbied against minimum wage hike proposals. Jim Patterson with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry on why the state should not raise the minimum wage.
“Employers need the ability to set their pay rates as-is for the best of their businesses,” said Patterson.
Once again the issue of raising the minimum wage is dead for the session.
Comments