Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Saturday, May 10, 2008

Minimum wage hike clears Legislature despite veto threat

By The Associated Press

ST. PAUL — Lawmakers are ignoring Governor Tim Pawlenty’s threat to veto a minimum wage hike.

Both houses of the Minnesota Legislature have passed a bill to raise the minimum wage in two stages.

The vote was 40-18 in the Senate and 89-45 in the House.

The bill would raise the lowest hourly wage for workers at large companies by 60 cents to $6.75 in mid-July and another dollar a year later. That’s for businesses with annual sales above $625,000.

Smaller employers would have to pay at least 50 cents more an hour, or $5.75, starting in July and their minimum wage would go up to $6.75 a year later.

All stories copyright 2000 - 2006 La Crosse Tribune and other attributed sources.