Hawaii lawmakers vote to increase hourly minimum wage to $10.10
Source: Reuters
Hawaii lawmakers vote to increase hourly minimum wage to $10.10
BY MALIA MATTOCH
HONOLULU Wed Apr 30, 2014 3:18am EDT
(Reuters) - Hawaii lawmakers voted late on Tuesday to raise the U.S. state's hourly minimum wage to $10.10 from the federal minimum $7.25 at a time of heated national debate over wages and rising income inequality.
The new rate brings the Pacific state into line with the hourly wage U.S. President Barack Obama has pushed at a federal level, where the current rate stands at $7.25. Legislation to raise the national minimum wage has stalled in Congress.
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Hawaii now joins California, Maryland, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C., in passing legislation to raise their state minimum wage over time to, or above, the $10 hourly mark, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Under Hawaii's legislation, which passed both the state's Senate and House of Representatives in almost unanimous votes on Tuesday, increased wages would be phased in and reach the new rate by January 2018.
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Read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/30/us-usa-hawaii-wage-idUSBREA3T06620140430