House leaders debate minimum wage hike in session preview
With the start of an election year legislative session just three weeks away, the leaders in the Minnesota House debated a proposed minimum wage increase and other issues at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School on Monday.
House Democrats will make another push this year to raise the state’s minimum wage to $9.50 an hour. But in a negotiation left unresolved last session, they still have to reach an agreement with the Senate, which favors an increase to $7.75. House speaker Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, said he still wants the higher amount.
“I do think getting closer to $9.50 would be my number one priority as we look at it, because even a $9.50 minimum wage isn’t something that a middle class family necessarily can live on," Thissen said. "It gets us closer to that point, but that’s the direction we should be moving.”
Republican Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, said he wants to help low income workers make more money too. But he contends that a minimum wage increase would have a chilling effect on the state’s economy.
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“Frankly, the bottom line is increasing the minimum wage by 20 to 30 percent isn’t fair to the Minnesotans that are going to lose their jobs,” he said
Daudt and Thissen agree on the need to repeal the new taxes on business-to-business services passed last session. Although Thissen said he wants to see what the next economic forecast looks like first.
They also appeared to be close on a bonding bill, which will need some Republican votes to pass. Daudt said he thinks $800 million for public construction projects would be reasonable.
“I think we need to look to make sure that any bonding bill is going to have stuff that is infrastructure, transportation infrastructure things, projects that are really going to help Minnesota’s economy," he said. "We do know there is somewhat of a job benefit to building these projects.”
The opposing leaders also have some shared concerns about the construction of a new office building for the Minnesota Senate, which still needs a House committee to sign off on the design. Daudt called it an example of wasteful spending. Thissen was sympathetic with the need for more office space, but he wants other options considered.
“I think there should be 67 Senators in this building. It’s only been designed for 44," he said. "We’re looking very carefully at how we can actually reduce the cost of that building further. We’re looking at other options. Instead of building a new building, would it be better for us to look at things like, should we lease space that already exists? Should we move another agency to another place?”
Thissen said he expects to pass anti-bullying legislation this session. But he said a transportation funding bill is unlikely and a proposal to legalize medical marijuana is not a priority.