ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - One of New Mexico’s congresswomen broke ranks with fellow Democrats as the U.S. House approved legislation to raise the federal minimum wage.
U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small says she’s for raising the minimum wage but that $15 was too high.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Torres Small had heard from constituents in the 2nd Congressional District that such a boost would have a devastating effect on small businesses, especially those in rural areas.
U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Lujan and Deb Haaland voted for the bill.
The last increase in the federal minimum wage occurred 10 years ago, the longest stretch without an adjustment since the wage floor was first enacted during the 1930s.
Under the bill, tipped workers would be required to be paid the same as others earning the minimum.
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com
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