$15 Minimum Wage Approved By PA House

HARRISBURG, PA — A historic if cautious step forward for low wage earners was taken in Pennsylvania on Tuesday when the state House of Representatives passed a bill that would increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Similar bills have been pushed by House Democrats and former Gov. Tom Wolf for years, but never gained traction in the state's Republican-dominated bodies. With Democrats now holding a slim majority in the House, they were able to pass the bill by a thin, party-line margin, 103-100.

The Republicans still hold a strong majority in the state Senate and it's unclear what support the bill will see.

"Pennsylvania is facing a workforce shortage — and we can't compete with other states when they offer to pay workers more," Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement Wednesday. "That's why I'm proud to see the House pass a bipartisan bill to raise the minimum wage to $15. Let's get this done and finally raise the minimum wage."

Despite inflation and scores of studies demonstrating that minimum wage does not get most people out of abject poverty, Pennsylvania's minimum wage remains at $7.25 an hour, with a tipped wage of $2.83 an hour.

The proposed bill would bring the state to the same $15 an hour level as numerous other states, as well as the federal government. Specifically, it would increase the rate in gradations, to $11 in 2024, to $13 in 2025, and to $15 in 2026.

In 2020, former Gov. Wolf proposed a graduated raise of the wage in Pennsylvania, which would have seen the minimum bumped to $12 an hour last year, with small increases each year until $15 was reached in 2026. He made similar formal proposal seven times while he was in office, and legislation was introduced every year. It never made it far in the Republican dominated legislature, which has consistently eschewed the effectiveness of the idea and argued it would harm the economy.

But other states have not taken economic blows after raises, and, meanwhile, typical workweeks are nearly impossible for those looking to obtain basic shelter in the Keystone State. More than 100 hours a week are required in some areas for individuals making the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows.

Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom apartment in the state is $1,087 (it's $882 for a one bedroom). Even though this is just the 27th highest rate in the nation, it still means that a minimum wage worker would need to work 115 hours a week for a two bedroom and 94 hours a week for a one bedroom.

If an individual works just 40 hours a week, in order to afford the Fair Market Rent they'd need to make at least $20.90 an hour, or $43,463 a year.