Lawmakers Want To Stop Cities From Raising Minimum Wage

[gtxvideo vid=”wZ98HcLh” playlist=”” pid=”2gxTqEDg” thumb=”http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/wZ98HcLh-120.jpg?cachebust=1455233590769″ vtitle=”Minimum wage public hearing”]

Alabama is one of a few states without a minimum wage law on the books, and some lawmakers want to make sure cities aren’t doing anything to change that.

A new bill would prevent local governments from making any change to the minimum wage, currently $7.25 an hour.

Birmingham’s city council says one solution to fixing the city’s poverty problem is moving the minimum wage up.

One lawmaker sees this as a step in the wrong direction, so he’s proposing not to let any local governments set a wage.

“This bill is continuing what Alabama law has always been, and that is for us to have a uniform minimum wage in the state of Alabama. This bill is not setting a minimum wage. For those that want the minimum wage to be higher, this bill does nothing to stop that. This bill simply says if you’re going to do it, you have to do it at the state level,” said Rep. David Faulkner.

Alabama currently follows the federal government’s minimum wage standard.

Any proposals to create a state law have fallen flat.

That’s why Birmingham city councilwoman Sheila Tyson says this is so frustrating.

“This is a city bill that we passed. When have the representatives started chiming in on local legislation? It has never happened so why are they trying to do it now?” said Tyson.

This very well may be the first city in the state to ever change it’s own minimum wage.

With that in jeopardy, state representative Darrio Melton plans to continue his push to raise it at the state level.

He’s proposing bringing it up to $10.10 an hour in a bill of his own this year.

“Those on the other side of the aisle are total hypocrites. When it comes to the federal government reaching to the state, that’s a problem. But when it comes to the state reaching into the municipalities they’re doing the right thing. I think once and for all we need to show leadership in the state so we won’t have the issue city by city increasing the minimum wage. We can say the minimum wage is 10.10 for the state and leave it alone,” said Rep. Melton.