Alabama House to Debate Bill Blocking Local Minimum Wages

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The Alabama House of Representatives is expected to discuss proposed legislation that would prevent cities from setting local minimum wages.

Lawmakers on Tuesday afternoon are expected to debate the bill filed by Republican Rep. David Faulkner of Mountain Brook.

The Republican-backed bill is on the legislative fast track as Birmingham seeks to expedite a minimum wage increase approved last year for all workers within the city limits.

Birmingham leaders sought to raise the city’s hourly minimum wage to $10.10 by 2017 and planned to begin with an $8.25 minimum wage March 1.

Alabama has no state minimum wage and instead uses the federal minimum of $7.25. House Democrats have said the federal minimum keeps working families in poverty.

Fifty Republican House members are co-sponsoring the bill.

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