California State Sen. Mark Leno Wants To Raise State Minimum Wage To $13 An Hour
SACRAMENTO (KCBS)— Saying California wages are growing slower than corporate profits, one Bay Area state lawmaker is pushing a plan to raise the state's minimum wage to $13 an hour. So far, the measure passed the Senate along party lines.
This isn't the first time State Senator Mark Leno, D- San Francisco, has pushed a plan to boost hourly wages. Last year's attempt failed in an Assembly committee, but since then both San Francisco and Los Angeles have incrementally raised their minimums to $15 an hour. San Francisco's current minimum wage is $12.25 an hour, but will reach $15 by 2018.
Leno's bill looks to raise the statewide wage by 2017.
"With an increase in the minimum wage, we'll have more consumer spending, more demand for goods and services. When there's a greater demand for goods and services that's when employers hire and we create a virtuous cycle upwards," said.
The current $9 an hour state minimum wage is set to increase to $10 on January 1st.
The California Chamber of Commerce calls Leno's bill a job killer that would not lift people out of poverty. The bill is now headed to the Assembly.