House Republicans Pass Rep. Mark Owens, Bill to Increase the Minimum Wage

ND House approves one minimum wage increase, sinks another
By DALE WETZEL Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press - Friday, February 09, 2007

BISMARCK, N.D.

Representatives began sifting through four proposals to raise North Dakota's minimum wage, approving one to raise the hourly rate to $7.25 over two years. A second proposal to boost the wage to $7.25 in August was rejected.

In the Republican-controlled House, the GOP bill, sponsored by Rep. Mark Owens, R-Grand Forks, prevailed Friday. Whether it takes effect depends on whether Congress decides to raise the minimum wage. Congress is debating proposals to boost the wage to $7.25 hourly.

If Congress acts, North Dakota's minimum wage will be increased to $7.25 an hour in three steps, depending on when any new federal law takes effect.

It would rise to $5.85 an hour when any federal minimum wage takes effect; to $6.15 an hour a year after that; and $7.25 an hour two years after that.

Representatives approved the measure 87-3 on Friday, and sent the legislation to the Senate for additional review. The Senate is considering two minimum-wage bills of its own, including one, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem, R-Bismarck, that is identical to the Owens proposal.

"This bill does affect 4,000 employees in our state. It does increase their wages," said Rep. George Keiser, R-Bismarck. "Without this bill, those wages would not increase."

Separately, the House voted along party lines, 58-33, to reject a separate minimum wage bill that sought to raise North Dakota's minimum wage to $7.25 hourly on Aug. 1, and link subsequent increases to the federal Consumer Price Index.

The measure's sponsor, Rep. Steve Zaiser, D-Fargo, said whether North Dakota raises its minimum wage should not depend on federal action. Under the Republican bill, workers would wait more than two years before seeing a $7.25-an-hour minimum wage, he said.

Zaiser argued the approach of indexing the minimum wage to inflation is preferable to approving large jumps in the minimum wage every several years. The present $5.15 hourly rate has not changed nationally, or in North Dakota, since September 1997.

"This bill, I consider business-friendly," Zaiser said. "Granted, there will be a jump immediately, which I think the lowest-rung workers need. But after that, we're not going to have any big ... increases. The increase is going to be strictly based on the cost-of-living index each year."

___

The Owens bill is HB1454. The Zaiser bill is HB1337.