HIGHER MINIMUM WAGE SOUGHT IN TEXAS

The Texas AFL-CIO will host a news conference later today on raising the minimum wage in Texas.

The event will take place 1 p.m. today, Thursday, Jan. 12, in the Speaker’s Committee Room of the Texas Capitol.

Texas AFL-CIO President John Patrick will be joined by working people who earn at or near the minimum wage and legislators who are promoting bills to increase the wage floor, along with other allies. 

Bills filed to date that would directly raise the minimum wage include HB 285 by Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas ($15 an hour), HB 475 by Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, HB 937 by Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston ($10.10 an hour), SB 229 and SJR 22 by Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio ($10.10 an hour) and HB 924 and HJR 56 by Rep. Chris Turner, D-Arlington ($10.10 an hour). Related bills would protect the ownership of tips (HB 326 by Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg) and allow cities or counties to raise the minimum wage (HB 840 by Rep. Evelina Ortega, D-El Paso, and SB 427 by Sen. José Rodriguez, D-El Paso). Other wage-related bills that would help low-income Texans, including a measure by Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, are pending.

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages that are higher than the federal floor of $7.25 an hour.