In Harrisburg yesterday, the state House Appropriations Committee began budget hearings, with a vocal challenge to Governor Tom Wolf’s call for a minimum wage hike from $7.25 per hour to $12 an hour.
Representative Jim Struzzi sits on that committee. He told Indiana In the Morning on WCCS last week that he can’t agree with raising the minimum wage that drastically. “How do you pay the additional money? Twelve dollars is a lot…it’s a big increase for a small business. Do you, if you have two employees, do you go down to one? And what about employees who are already making twelve dollars, do they get an increase? So those kind of things have to be considered.”
The Republican majority criticized the proposal, saying it would drive small businesses to either lay off workers or go out of business, which would add to the state’s public assistance burden. In addition, the hike could make people earning the minimum wage ineligible for supplemental public assistance they currently have access to. Governor Wolf says studies show raising the minimum wage has little effect on employment.
Today’s House budget hearing schedule includes the PA School Employees Retirement System and State Employees Retirement System in the morning; and the State System of Higher Education and Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency in the afternoon.
