Virginians making less than $15 an hour could see a raise in the coming years thanks to new legislation that got out of a House of Delegates committee Tuesday afternoon.
The last time they had a trifecta, Virginia Democrats tried to raise the state’s minimum wage. But the incremental effort was slow and efforts to speed it up were vetoed by Youngkin.
A new effort, backed by Governor Abigail Spanberger, got out of a House of Delegates Committee Tuesday.
“We need a strong minimum wage that uplifts families, many of which are struggling," said the bill’s patron, Hampton Democratic Del. Jeion Ward, before the House Commerce and Labor committee Tuesday afternoon. "They're struggling to make ends meet.”
But Republican Minority Leader Terry Kilgore argued it would drive out small businesses, especially those in his rural, lower-income Gate City district.
“All you folks who say, 'this is great, it’s gonna raise everybody,' What it’s gonna do in rural areas of the state, where I live?" Kilgore warned. "We're right on the border of Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia. Those businesses are going to move because it's cheaper to do business in the other states.”
The bill passed along party lines. Its next stop is the House Appropriations committee. While jokingly referred to as a legislative graveyard for bills that impact state coffers (the minimum wage effort’s costs are estimated to be in the tens of millions by 2028 when the full $15 an hour would go into effect) this effort is likely to survive as long as Democrats keep their majorities in both chambers.
As for Spanberger, she asked for the measure during her State of the Commonwealth address Monday afternoon.
“And yes, we can raise our minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour," she said. "If you work full time in Virginia, you should be able to live in Virginia.”
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
