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There is an increase in the state minimum wage from $6.50 to $7.25 already scheduled for July 24th, 2009, but Democrats in the state Senate recently put additional minimum wage increases into the state budget bill. That provision would have created automatic annual increases in the minimum wage tied to inflation, otherwise known as “indexing” the minimum wage.
WRA members responded to this situation with hundreds of e-mails and phone calls to state lawmakers, and many lawmakers took notice.
To their credit, Assembly Democrats did not include this provision in the budget they passed. Their leader, Speaker Mike Sheridan (D-Janesville), negotiated with Senate leaders to get the indexing provision out of the budget bill. Sheridan believes that the minimum wage bill should go through the normal legislative process instead of passing as non-fiscal policy buried in a massive budget bill, and WRA agrees.
The final state budget bill was signed into law by Governor Doyle on June 29th, and does not include any changes to minimum wage policies. This is yet another victory that shows what WRA members can do when they take the time to call or write to their state lawmakers.
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Wisconsin Restaurant Association
2801 Fish Hatchery Road
Madison, WI 53713
608-270-9950
800-589-3211
www.wirestaurant.org |
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