CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Senate Finance Committee passed a re-tooled minimum-wage bill that spreads the proposed hike across three years instead of two.
Finance chairman Roman Prezioso said the plan is the result of negotiations in his office among the various parties — business and labor — that whittled the proposed options down from six or seven to the one in the bill.
As it came from the House, HB 4283 would have raised the wage in two stages: From the current $7.25 an hour to $8 per hour after Jan. 1, 2015, and to $8.75 an hour after Jan. 1, 2016.
The Senate Finance version raises the minimum wage in three phases: To $7.50 the first year, $8 the second and $8.75 the third.