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By Mark Hooson
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A fresh Democratic bid to more than double the state minimum wage in Texas comes as a separate effort to raise the federal minimum faces a ticking legislative clock.
On Monday, state Representative Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos of Dallas introduced legislation that would raise the state's minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $15 per hour. The bill would require employers to pay $15 per hour or the federal minimum, whichever is higher.
The Texas bill comes as a window for passing a U.S. House bill that would raise the federal minimum wage to $25, from $7.25 per hour, draws to a close. Newsweek has contacted Ramos for comment via email.
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Ramos had previously filed a bill to increase the Texas state minimum wage to $19 during the 89th legislative session. That bill, which did not become law, also sought to prevent employers from using tip credits to reduce the amount paid to tipped workers.
Meanwhile, U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez of Illinois introduced the Living Wage for All Act, or H.R. 8555, in April. However, the legislation has yet to receive a committee hearing after being referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. If lawmakers do not pass it before the 119th Congress ends in January, they will need to reintroduce it in the next Congress.
The Living Wage for All Act would gradually increase the federal minimum wage of $7.25—which has remained unchanged since 2009—over the coming years, with different deadlines for small and larger organizations.
Ramirez's bill targets a federal minimum wage of $25 by 2031 for larger employers and by 2038 for others. Newsweek has contacted Ramirez for comment via email.
Employers with at least $1 billion in annual revenue, or with more than 500 employees nationwide, would be expected to incrementally increase their employees' wages to meet annual targets. Smaller employers would face a more gradual increase.
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The bill would also tie the minimum wage to an amount equal to two-thirds the national median hourly wage, adjusting annually to maintain the ratio as median wages change. Lower minimum wages for tipped workers, younger workers and some workers with disabilities would also be phased out.
Even if passed by the House, the bill would need to pass in the Senate. Despite their significant gains in last week's elections, Democrats do not hold enough seats in the incoming Senate to clear the filibuster and will need Republican support in any vote.
The National Picture
The state minimum wage varies significantly across the United States. States such as Utah, Kansas and Louisiana have a minimum of $7.25 per hour, equal to the one set by the federal government.
Other states set the minimum much higher. Washington tops the table with a minimum wage of $17.13 per hour. New York's is $17 per hour in parts of the state and $16 in others. Meanwhile, California's minimum wage is $16.90 per hour, and Oregon's ranges from $14.55 to $16.80 per hour.
The average hourly wage in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was $38 in October—though average figures are skewed by particularly high- or low-paying jobs.
The average figure also varies by industry. Utilities workers, for example, recorded an average hourly wage of $56.33 last month, while leisure and hospitality workers recorded less than half that figure: $23.90 per hour.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Cannon and Shakeema Edwards.
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