Minimum Wage Passes the Senate, but not without concessions.

Senate Bill 39, as amended, increases the minimum wage by 50 cents a year effective June 1, for the years 2017 through 2020, when it will be $10.25. The original bill would have then tied the minimum wage increases to the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). But, by amendment, that provision was stricken, I suppose to get the final 11th vote. That would make sense, since the amendment was passed late in the afternoon yesterday, after votes on the bill had been delayed one day to figure out how to get that 11th and final vote for the majority. I would love to know which so called Democrat demanded that provision be stricken. I would like him or her to explain their thinking.

From the New Journal.

[Sen. Bob] Marshall had to make concessions in order to get the bill through the upper chamber. He had made an amendment that would have raised the wage to $15 an hour, but nixed that Tuesday because it did not have enough support. He also removed Wednesday a part of the bill that would have made the minimum wage automatically grow to match increases to the cost of living as Social Security does.

Drew Serres, with Delaware Americans for Democratic Action, a group that lobbies for growing the minimum wage, said he was happy to see some increase pass but was disappointed the changes had to be made.

“We’re happy that a lot of legislators worked really hard to fight for workers and their families,” Serres said. “But we’re not going to stop fighting.”

Meanwhile, I do not like this equivocation from Governor Markell’s spokeswoman:

Courtney McGregor, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jack Markell, in a statement said that Markell was proud of the last increase in the minimum wage and “supports continuing to work to ensure the minimum wage is at an appropriate level.” But did not outright say the governor support Marshall’s bill.

“[Markell] looks forward to conversations with Sen. Marshall and others to review the full impact of the bill,” McGregor wrote. “Whatever the outcome, it’s important to recognize that other issues must be addressed to best support and improve access to the middle class.”

Governor Markell, you just passed a corporate tax giveaway to the wealthy. The very least, literally, you can do is raise the minimum wage.