MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont Senate has given preliminary approval to legislation to increase the state minimum wage to $10.50 by 2018.
That’s a larger increase than called for recently by the House, but takes effect more slowly. A House version of the bill calls for raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by January. But the House also includes an annual inflation adjuster that could boost the wage above $10.50 by 2018.
Gov. Peter Shumlin and President Barack Obama both are supporting an increase to $10.10 by 2017.
Differences between the Senate and House versions likely will have to be worked out in a legislative conference committee.
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