HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Lawmakers pass legislation that incrementally increases Connecticut's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2023. The vote was taken shortly before 3am.
Senators on Thursday night debated the bill, previously approved by the House of Representatives.
Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney says more than 300,000 people will benefit from the proposal, and now Connecticut will join other states with $15 wages.
Republican Sen. John Kissel of Enfield says he fears the increase will discourage employers from hiring workers, saying the bill "goes too far, way too fast."
Under the bill, the current $10.10 an hour wage will climb to $11 on October 1; $12 in 2020; $13 in 2021; $14 in 2022; and $15 in 2023. The wage would then be tied to the federal Employment Cost Index.
