State Assembly Minority Leader Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, introduced new legislation Wednesday morning to raise the minimum wage for state employees.
The bill proposes employees receive a “living wage,” which Barca defines as “at least the federal poverty level of a three-person household.” In a statement, Barca said hardworking people should not have to depend on government assistance for basic needs.
“The people who work for Wisconsin deserve fair compensation for their work,” Barca said in the statement.
The bill is based off a living wage program that was passed in Maryland in 2007. More than 100 counties and local governments across the U.S. have adopted a “living wage.”
Barca’s proposed legislation comes following President Barack Obama’s 2014 State of the Union where he announced he would use an executive order to raise the minimum wage for federal employees to $10.10 per hour.
