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Regulating Minimum Wage Is the State's Job -- Not Cities, Says Washington Lawmaker

Minimum wage is an important discussion, but it should happen at the state level, Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, said this week.

Minimum wage is an important discussion, but it should happen at the state level, Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, said this week.

He’s sponsoring Senate Bill 6307, which would prohibit cities and counties from enacting laws to regulate minimum wage, hours and other private-employee considerations.

The bill would not set a minimum wage but would reserve that action for the state.

“We’re already way too complex when it comes to the way our businesses must operate,” Braun said. State lawmakers should decide minimum wage, he said, “because when you toss that out there, all you’re doing is adding to the complexity of business.”

“We’ve seen the minimum-wage discussion grow over the course of the last year,” Braun said. “A lot of folks are reasonably concerned about what this does to their businesses or jobs.”

The bill would pre-empt the SeaTac minimum-wage initiative and similar actions being discussed in Seattle.

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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