labor lawAdivision of labor law center

This past Friday, the fate of the minimum wage increase in Alaska could have been decided. On Friday, lawmakers in Juneau the capital had a huge debate over a bill that was being presented by 10 Democrat lawmakers there. The bill would have raised the minimum wage in Alaska from $7.15 per hour, its current level, to $8 per hour, as well as added a mechanism by which the Alaska minimum wage would have increased every year after according to what the consumer price index said inflation was.

Also, the new Alaska minimum wage law would have made it so that no matter what the federal minimum wage becomes, the Alaska minimum wage would be always at least $1 more than that federal minimum.

What happened Friday, however, was that in the House Labor and Commerce Committee, the new Alaska minimum wage law could not get out of the committee. Even after Rep. Kurt Olson, a Republican from Soldotna, tried a compromise, which would have raised the Alaska minimum wage to $7.65 per hour if the federal minimum wage passes, this compromise law ended up in a tie vote in the committee. Two hours of debate and talks by outside experts and people did not sway either side.

The arguments for those against and for the new minimum wage in Alaska are the same we have heard in Washington DC, as well as those across every state considering a new minimum wage increase. Those for the minimum wage increase say it is needed to help families have a living wage. Those against it say that it will hurt businesses and the economy.

It seems that the Alaska minimum wage will stay the way it is for the foreseeable future, as my sources say that this tie vote all but kills the new law. That leaves Alaska tenth on the list of highest minimum wages in the United States.

Last 10 posts by Mark

• North Carolina Federal Minimum Wage Alert - June 11th, 2007
• New York Federal Minimum Wage Alert - June 11th, 2007
• Arizona Workers' Comp Compromise - June 11th, 2007
• New Mexico Federal Minimum Wage Alert - June 10th, 2007
• New Jersey Federal Minimum Wage Alert - June 10th, 2007
• Maine Leaving Wage Law Not Leaving - June 10th, 2007
• New York Family Leave Law Leaving? - June 10th, 2007
• New Hampshire Federal Minimum Wage Alert - June 10th, 2007
• Whistleblower Protection Changes - June 10th, 2007
• Discrimination Law Suits Legal Case - June 10th, 2007