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3/27/2024
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Morales legislation increasing the minimum wage toward $20 to be heard in committee
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STATE HOUSE – Legislation sponsored by Rep. David Morales to increase the minimum wage to $20 by 2029 and link future increases to inflation will be heard in committee today.
“As the cost of living continues to increase, our workers earning minimum wage deserve higher wages,” said Representative Morales (D-Dist. 7, Providence). “With over 70,000 Rhode Islanders working for minimum wage, it is our responsibility to ensure that the minimum wage is a living wage because working one full-time job should be enough.”
This bill (2024-H 7579) would amend state minimum wage law to increase the minimum wage by $1.25 each year, beginning Jan. 1, 2026, and concluding Jan. 1, 2029, with a minimum wage of $20 per hour. At that point, the minimum wage would increase along with the cost of living each year, based on any change in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers, published by the United States Department of Labor Statistics.
“We know that the cost of living is not going to stop rising,” said Representative Morales. “Therefore it is important that all of our workers can count on an increased wage going into January 1 of each year.”
This legislation will be heard in the House Labor Committee today at 4 p.m. in Room 101 on the first floor of the State House. Representative Morales encourages those impacted to share their stories with the committee, either in written testimony or in person.
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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