MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - A Vermont Senate committee has voted to approve increasing the state minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Vermont Public Radio reports the Senate Economic Development Committee moved to support the measure Tuesday in a 4 - 1 vote. Under the plan, the minimum wage would be raised gradually until it reaches $15 an hour by 2024.
Democratic Sen. Michael Sirotkin, committee chairman, says the bill will help residents struggling with income inequality and pump money back into the state’s economy. Sirotkin says small businesses will be able to adjust because the raise is incremental.
Sen. David Soucy, a Republican, voted against the measure and worries it could hurt small businesses that can’t afford to pay higher wages.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott strongly opposes legislation and believes it will hurt small businesses.
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Information from: WVPS-FM, http://www.vpr.net
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