By Jeff Frantz

– A pair of state Senators have introduced a bill which would raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $12 an hour.

The proposal — by senators Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) and Mike Stack (D-Philadelphia) — would also make it illegal for businesses to pay workers who receive tips less than minimum wage. Currently, tip earners can be paid a minimum of $2.83 an hour.

“The tipped minimum wage hasn’t changed in 23 years and allows business owners to take advantage of low-wage, disproportionately female workers even demanding they do un-tipped work like dish washing and cleaning bathrooms for $2.83 an hour,” Leah said in a statement.

The bill would also index the minimum wage to inflation, which occurs in 11 other states. The senators said the changes would create 1 million new jobs in Pennsylvania.

For what it’s worth, Leach is running for Congress and Stack is a candidate for Lieutenant Governor.

Their proposal comes a week after a report found that an American worker would need, on average, to earn $18.91 to afford a two-bedroom apartment. In the Harrisburg-Carlisle metro area, the study found workers need to earn $16.25 an hour — more than double the minimum wage — to afford a two-bedroom apartment while spending no more than the recommended 30 percent of their income on rent.

Democrats in both houses have been calling to raise the minimum wage for some time. These suggestions have only increased dropping suggestions since President Barack Obama announced in his State of the Union that the federal government would be paying employees at least $10.10. So far, these hints haven’t built any momentum.

With a potentially contentious budget fight looming, its hard to see this proposal moving quickly.

The PA Chamber of Business and Industry has already come out against the proposal.

“The Congressional Budget Office has already estimated that a mandated wage increase to $10.10 could jeopardize more than 500,000 jobs,” said Chamber CEO Gene Barr. “Moving to $12 would only compound these job loss projections, and it would have an incredibly adverse affect on the state’s small businesses.”

Source: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/04/senate_democrats_propose_raisi.html