Increase To RI's Minimum Wage Heads To Governor's Desk

PROVIDENCE, RI — A bill to raise the state's minimum wage to $11.50 per hour is headed to the governor's desk after being approved by both the House and Senate. The $1-per-hour increase will go into effect on Oct. 1, if signed into law.

The companion bills introduced in both chambers were sponsored by Senator Erin Lynch Prata and Representative David Bennett. The Senate approved its version on Feb. 6, while the House voted in favor of theirs on Feb. 14. Final votes were held on Wednesday.

"Putting more money in the pockets of those with the lowest wages helps their families and the economy overall, because people at that end of the wage spectrum pump that money right back into the local economy, buying necessities," Rep. Bennet said. "It also means less demand for public assistance. A stronger minimum wage will mean a stronger economy for Rhode Island."

The state's minimum wage has been $10.50 per hour since Jan. 1, 2019. Even with the increase, Rhode Island will still lag behind neighboring Massachusetts, which is $12.75. Connecticut, meanwhile, sits at $11.

"As the costs of daily life continue to increase, we must not forget those who are on the bottom of the economic ladder," Lynch Prata said. "There is still much more work to be done to address this issue, but, this minimum wage increase is a good first step to ensuring that Rhode Islanders have a roof over their heads and food on the table for themselves and their families.

Both lawmakers have been the driving forces behind the state's minimum wage increases since 2012, when the minimum wage was $7.40.

With the minimum wage bump approved by the entire General Assembly, another state lawmaker is calling for an increase to tipped workers' wages, as well. Rep. Moira Walsh said the proposed law would leave behind more than 22,000 workers in the state of Rhode Island.

Under the current law, the minimum wage for tipped workers is $3.89. In a bill introduced in the House, Walsh is calling for incremental raises that would match yearly increases to the state minimum wage.

If approved, the bill would raise the tipped wage by 50 cents on Jan. 1, 2021, continuing to do so at the start of each year until it is at least two-thirds of the state minimum wage.

"Just getting fifty cents or a dollar this year isn’t going to mean much if servers have to keep coming back here every year for a few cents to try to make up for lost ground and not fall behind again," Walsh said. "If tipped employees are going to have a minimum wage that is less than their non-tipped counterparts, it’s only fair that it should be a rate that better reflects the original intention of the law establishing it, and that it should rise alongside minimum wage proportionally."