Proposed Law Would Bring RI Minimum Wage To $15 By 2025

PROVIDENCE, RI — A proposed Rhode Island law would bring Rhode Island's minimum wage to $15 within four years. The state minimum wage has been $11.50 since October.

Sen. Ana Quezada, the bill's sponsor, said it will "go a long way toward breaking the cycle of poverty that has ensnared so many of Rhode Island’s families."

"A living wage will not only help people who work full time from living in poverty, it will also ease the demand on public assistance and bolster the state’s economy by ensuring that families have the income required to meet their basic needs," Quezada said.

If approved, the law would raise the minimum wage by approximately $1 per hour each October, on the following schedule:

• Oct. 1, 2021: $12.25
• Oct. 1, 2022: $13
• Oct. 1, 2023: $14
• Oct. 1, 2024: $15

Raising the state minimum wage is not a new debate in Rhode Island. In October, it was raised to its current $11.50 per hour from the previous $10.50, which had been in effect since January 2019. At present, Rhode Island lags behind several neighboring New England states, which are listed below.

• Massachusetts: $13.50
• Connecticut: $12, with a stepped plan to reach $15 by June 1, 2023
• Vermont: $11.75
• New Hampshire: $7.25
• Maine: $11