WASHINGTON SUPPORTS A SWIFT VOTE ON A MIN WAGE INCREASE

          HARRISBURG, January 27 – State Sen. LeAnna Washington (D-Phila.) said today that action to increase the minimum wage for the first time in eight years should be taken now.

          “We have mulled over this issue for far too long,” Washington said.  “We have the facts and the facts say that 423,000 Pennsylvanians would benefit from a minimum wage increase.”

          Earlier this week, Washington joined Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-Phila.), sponsor of legislation Senate Bill 926, and hundreds of supporters at a rally for increasing the minimum wage.

          Tartaglione’s legislation would raise the minimum wage in two steps, bringing it to $7.15 by 2007.  After that, the minimum wage would be adjusted according to the Consumer Price Index.  In an amended House version of minimum wage legislation, the lowest wage would top out at $6.15 an hour.

          Washington said that she and her Democratic colleagues have expressed that they will not accept legislation that doesn’t work towards lifting the burden of poverty from the working poor.

          “Pennsylvania’s minimum wage workers are depending on us to do what’s right, increasing the minimum wage to $7.15 is the right thing to do and now is the right time to do it,” Washington said.

          Washington said that the federal minimum wage has not been raised since 1997.  “We have waited for the federal government to act and they haven’t. It is up to us to see to the welfare of our citizens,” Washington added.