Idaho minimum wage hike introduced, but likely stalled

BOISE (AP) - Idaho Democrats' plan to raise the state's minimum wage to $9.25 per hour over the next two years might be over before it begins.

Sen. Curt McKenzie, who chairs the GOP-controlled Senate State Affairs Committee, started the hearing Friday by saying he didn't anticipate holding any more hearings on the bill.

The proposal was introduced unanimously with no discussion, mainly as a courtesy to minority party leadership.

"I won't put the committee to a vote on an issue if it doesn't look like there's an opportunity to get it through the process," McKenzie told The Associated Press, citing a lack of bipartisan support.

Idaho's minimum wage currently mirrors the $7.25 per hour federal minimum.

House Assistant Minority Leader Rep. Mat Erpelding, who brought the bill before the committee, argued that it's better to gradually raise the minimum wage rather than wait for an abrupt increase from the federal government.

"The reason this is important is not because raising the minimum wage will lift people out of poverty, but rather, this will help us keep pace with shifting expenses so that workers don't fall behind," he told the panel.

Almost 30,000 people in Idaho are employed at or below the minimum wage, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett, who sits on the panel, says there was resistance to getting an introductory hearing, but she wants to encourage dialogue on the issue.

Last year, Stennett's similar plan to hike the state's minimum wage did not gain traction.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 7.1 percent of Idaho's hourly workers are paid the minimum wage. That is the second-highest proportion in the United States, behind only Tennessee.

Four of Idaho's six neighboring states - Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Montana - have minimum wages above the federal minimum.