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The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation Tuesday (March 24) that would raise the state's minimum wage for the first time in more than 15 years, sending the bill to a Republican-controlled Senate where similar efforts have repeatedly stalled.
House Bill 2189, sponsored by state Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Philadelphia, passed 104-to-95 with bipartisan support. The bill would gradually raise Pennsylvania's minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $11 per hour on January 1, 2027, then to $13 in 2028, and $15 in 2029. Annual cost-of-living adjustments would follow each year after that.
The bill also gives counties the option to implement the $15-per-hour wage sooner. It would also set the minimum wage for tipped employees at 60% of the statewide minimum wage.
Four Republicans crossed party lines to vote in favor of the bill. According to WHYY, they were Rep. Joe Emrick of Northampton, Rep. Natalie Mihalek of Allegheny, and Reps. Joe Hogan and Kathleen Tomlinson of Bucks County.
Pennsylvania last raised its minimum wage in 2009, when the federal rate increased to $7.25. Since then, inflation has climbed more than 50% and every neighboring state has raised its own wage floor. Delaware and Maryland now require $15 per hour, New Jersey sits at $15.92, Ohio is at $11, and West Virginia at $8.75.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry's annual report, nearly 43,000 workers in the state earned the minimum wage or below last year. The Keystone Research Center estimates that 866,000 nontipped Pennsylvania workers — over 15% of the workforce — would directly benefit from an increase to $15 per hour.
Dawkins has said the bill is about basic financial security for working families.
"It's been my mission to provide a living wage for all working Pennsylvanians, and this bill passing the House is a huge step forward in that mission," Dawkins said, according to a release from the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus. "If you work hard, you shouldn't have to worry about your next meal or having a roof over your head."
Dawkins also pushed Senate lawmakers to act. "Research shows that increasing the minimum wage does not lead to job losses or business closures," he said. "To my colleagues in the Senate, I implore you to take up this bill and finally raise the wage in Pennsylvania."
Governor Josh Shapiro voiced strong support after the vote. As reported by WTAE, Shapiro said, "This is the THIRD year in a row that the House has stepped up to do their part. The ball is now in the Senate Republicans' court. It's time for them to bring this to a vote and send it to my desk."
Supporters of the bill argue higher wages will help workers meet basic living costs and stimulate the economy through more consumer spending. Critics have raised concerns about potential job losses and higher prices. Research on the topic is mixed. The Congressional Budget Office has found that a $15 federal minimum wage could reduce employment by about 1.4 million workers nationally, while other studies — including one from the University of Pennsylvania — have found that minimum wage increases can actually have a positive effect on employment.
Democrats have passed similar legislation in the House in 2023, 2024, and last year, but each time the bill has failed to advance in the Senate. The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate, where its path forward remains uncertain.