DOVER, Del. (AP) - A proposal to increase Delaware's minimum wage to $15 an hour has cleared its first legislative hurdle despite vocal opposition from the business and agriculture communities.
The Democrat-led Senate Labor Committee released the bill Wednesday after a lengthy public hearing during which most speakers criticized the proposal.
The bill increases the minimum wage to $11 on Jan. 1, 2020, followed by a $1 raise at the start of each year until it hits $15 in 2024. The minimum wage would then be tied to consumer price index.
The current minimum wage of $8.75 increases to $9.25 per hour on Oct. 1 under a bill that was rammed through the General Assembly by majority Democrats in the middle of the night on the final day of last year's session.