Stuck at the Bottom: Blue Harrisburg Puts $7.25 Minimum Wage on the Table

Pennsylvania's minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009, and all of the neighboring states have raised theirs since, according to FOX 29. As we reported April 16, the state House passed House Bill 2189 on March 24, by a vote of 104 to 95. FOX 29 reports it would raise the wage to $11 in 2027 and $15 by 2029. The bill then sat in the Republican-led Senate, where Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) called it a top priority and filed a discharge petition this year to try to pull it out of committee. The Inquirer reports the trifecta sets Democrats up to pass an increase, but no bill, dollar figure or timeline has been announced for the new session, and the new senators are not sworn in until January. The Center Square reports how high and how fast is still up for debate, with critics warning that a higher wage could raise prices or cut hours and jobs, and supporters pointing to a minimum wage that has lost more than 30 percent of its buying power since 2009, according to the governor's office. Any increase would apply statewide, including to every Monroe County employer who pays at or near the minimum.