05/05/2003 03:29 PM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 199                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act removing the annual adjustment to the minimum                                                                      
     wage based on the rate of inflation; and providing for                                                                     
     an effective date."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Meyer MOVED  to report  HB 199  out of  Committee                                                                   
with individual  recommendations and the  accompanying fiscal                                                                   
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Croft OBJECTED.    He suggested  that out  of                                                                   
respect to the  public process that originated  the increase,                                                                   
the  Committee  should maintain  this  small  increment.   He                                                                   
suggested  it  would  be  easier  for  employers  to  provide                                                                   
workers  with a  "living wage"  by  considering this  gradual                                                                   
increase as a part of the cost of doing business.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Williams  noted that,  in working  on the  docks for                                                                   
the  past  ten years,  he  himself  had  not received  a  pay                                                                   
increase in that time.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Harris  OBJECTED and  pointed out that  the Consumer                                                                   
Price  Index  (CPI)  inflationary  rate  had  not  yet  taken                                                                   
effect.   He suggested  that the  legislature ought  to first                                                                   
observe  the effects  of the CPI  before taking  action.   He                                                                   
also observed  that businesses generally protected  their own                                                                   
interests, and  he proposed that therefore  government should                                                                   
have  some  authority  in  setting  minimum  wage  standards,                                                                   
whether  or not that  included  a step increase.   He  stated                                                                   
that he was not in favor of the bill.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
A roll call vote was taken on the motion.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
IN FAVOR: Chenault,    Foster,   Hawker,   Meyer,    Stoltze,                                                                   
          Whitaker, Williams                                                                                                    
OPPOSED: Croft, Harris, Joule, Moses                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
The motion PASSED on a vote of 4-7.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
HB   199   was   REPORTED   out   of   Committee   with   "no                                                                   
recommendation" and  one new fiscal note from  The Department                                                                   
of Labor and Workforce Development.