Louisville has become the first city in Kentucky to raise the minimum wage.
The city’s Metro Council has voted to increase the minimum wage to nine-dollars an hour over the next three years. Then, it will increase with the rate of inflation.
Councilman David James voted for the hike. He doesn’t buy the claims of opponents that it will drive business out of the city. He says the current rate is inconsistent with Louisville’s new initiative to promote more college graduates.
Councilman Jerry Miller says the higher wage will hurt Louisville. In fact, he says, two groups will be the biggest losers.
“And that’s people who lose their job or whose hours are cut and the other people are those that are on fixed income whether they’re seniors, disabled or they’re just not working and they’re getting a check. Those peoples’ costs are gonna’ go up because this will get passed on to consumers.” --Jerry Miller
Louisville’s new minimum wage law does not apply to employees who work for tips or small businesses which have sales of less than 95-thousand dollars annually.
Mayor Greg Fischer says he supports the action. He had earlier threatened to veto any increase higher than eight-dollars and 75-cents.
