OLYMPIA, Wash. -- In a vote largely along party lines, the state House has passed the minimum wage bill. It takes the current state minimum wage of $9.47 an hour and boosts it roughly 50-cents and more an hour for each of the next four years until it reaches $12 an hour.
Washington already has the highest minimum wage in the nation.
"Even getting a 50-cent raise here means you don't have to worry how many hours you're working and paying your bills on time," said Mary-Margaret Johannsen, a barista at Poverty Bay Coffee in Federal Way. Her employer agreed the hike in the minimum wage is a positive.
"To me, it's a modest proposal and it's about dignity," said Dan Olmstead, Poverty Bay Coffee President. "People that work hard deserve to rent and live in the community they work in."
"On behalf of those people who are working at the minimum wage," said bill sponsor Rep. Jessyn Farrell on the House floor. "For the sake of those people who are taking care of our seniors, for the sake of those who are bagging our groceries, for the sake of those people who are preparing our food and cleaning our office buildings, let's pass this bill."
But this issue is deeply partisan. House Republicans are in strong opposition.
"This bill is chilling," said Rep. Liz Pike during floor debate. She and other Republicans argue increasing the minimum wage would actually hurt workers because fewer of them would be hired as employers cut back to be able to afford the increase.
It's part of an overall package of bills having to do with minimum wage, sick leave and retaliation protection.
"There is a series of bills in which the depth and scope of the economic illiteracy is breathtaking," said Rep. Matt Manwelling, R-Ellensburg.
But in the end the Democrats won out, with the bill passing mostly along party lines, 51-46.
Now it heads to the Republican-controlled Senate where the reception it'll get?
"It's going to be chilly in our caucus," said Sen Linda Evans Parlette, Caucus Chair.
Sen Curtis King, R-Yakima agreed: "We have a hard time getting jobs for our young people and so now you want to raise the minimum wage and make it harder for an employer to hire a young person even if it's just for the summer?"
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