Miss. Senator's Bill Would Increase Minimum Wage To $12 By 2025

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JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Thirteen state senators, including many from the Jackson and Hinds County delegation, have signed onto to support a bill that would mean more money in the pockets of the state’s lowest-paid workers.

Sen. Robert Jackson, of North Mississippi, authored S.B. 2114, a bill that would create a minimum wage law for the state.

The bill, which has been referred to the Senate Labor and Senate Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency committees, would incrementally increase the minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2025.

Mississippi currently has no minimum wage law, meaning that employers must adhere to the federal law, which sets it at $7.25 an hour for non-exempt employees.

“I knew the bill wouldn’t get any traction, but I wanted to get it out there and put it on the mind of legislators,” said Jackson, who represents parts of Coahoma, Panola, Quitman, and Tunica counties. “Hopefully, we can seriously think about increasing it.”

Currently, 30 states have minimum wage requirements higher than the federal governments, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Under the measure, the minimum wage would increase to $8.50 beginning July 1, 2022, go up to $9.50 cents in 2023, and $10.50 the following year. Beginning July 1, 2025, the law would require the minimum wage to go up to $12.

The bill also includes rules to increase the minimum wage when it is raised by the federal government and governing hourly rates for learners, beginners, and persons under 18.

Several members of the Jackson and Hinds County delegation have signed onto the legislation, including Sens. John Horhn, Hillman Frazier, Sollie Norwood, and Albert Butler.

“It’s obvious that the minimum wage won’t allow the average citizen to keep pace with the cost of living,” Horhn said. “And if we’re going to protect families in Mississippi, one of the first things we should be doing is raising minimum wage to a liveable wage.”