A bill that would boost Michigan’s minimum wage to $9.20 an hour will get a hearing Wednesday in the state House.
The legislation cleared the state Senate last week with bipartisan support.
We have more from The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher.
The new minimum wage would be phased in over three years, and rise with inflation after that.
Republican state Representative Pete Lund chairs the House committee that will take testimony on the bill. He says he’s open to the proposal – but he has some serious questions.
“Very often you see something like a minimum wage bill, and you think, well, that’s good – people should be paid more,” he says. “But there’s more to it than that. How will it affect employment? How will it affect the whole economy?”
The legislation is designed to kill a petition drive that would set the minimum wage at $10.10 an hour – including for tipped workers. Some Democrats say they’re not willing to support something that takes the decision away from voters.