Senator Soucy Continues to Fight to Raise the Minimum Wage
Contact Name: Marina Altschiller
Phone: (603) 568-9357
CONCORD – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) introduced SB 203, relative to the state minimum hourly rate, to the Senate Commerce Committee. The bill would incrementally increase the minimum wage as follows:
· From September 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, $10 per hour.
· From July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, $12 per hour.
· From July 1, 2024, and thereafter, $15 per hour.
The bill has not yet been acted on and will remain in committee until a vote is taken during an Executive Session.
After the hearing, prime sponsor Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) issued the following statement:
“I am proud to once again introduce legislation to modestly and incrementally increase the minimum wage in New Hampshire, which has not been raised in over a decade and is among the lowest across the country. New Hampshire’s minimum wage ranges from $5.00 to $7.00 dollars less per hour than every other New England state. In fact, we are one of just 15 states with the lowest minimum wage, equaling the federal level of $7.25. As a result, there’s a very real perception and concern that here in New Hampshire we don’t value workers the way our surrounding New England states do.
As we work to rebuild our economy, it is impossible to ignore the biggest problem New Hampshire employers and businesses are facing, and that is the inability to competitively attract workers. As an aging state, grappling with a workforce shortage and an affordable housing crisis, we need to do everything we can to make New Hampshire as attractive as possible so we can recruit and retain a highly skilled, robust workforce. It’s past time that we take this step and pay Granite Staters a livable wage.”
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