Feb. 13—Legislative efforts to again increase the state's minimum wage took a blow Monday after opponents effectively killed a bill to raise wage rates.
Members of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee voted 6-4 to table House Bill 28, which would have raised the minimum wage based on the Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation rates.
"It's dead; the committee tabled it," Rep. Miguel García, D-Albuquerque, sponsor of HB 28, said after the vote.
Two Democrats joined four Republicans to table the bill after about two hours of discussion.
The committee's move to table HB 28 may not bode well for House Bill 25, which would not only increase the minimum wage annually based on cost of living increases but bump the current $12 hourly minimum wage to $13.50 by Jan. 1, 2024, and then to $15.50 by Jan. 1, 2025.
Before the committee voted on García's bill, Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, asked the committee to push back consideration of HB 25 until later this week. Chandler is one of five sponsors, all Democrats, of HB 25.
Chandler said in an interview she wants time to refashion the bill after speaking with members of the committee.
"I still think we need to increase the minimum wage and apply the [consumer price index]," Chandler said following the committee meeting.
She still she still feels "pretty good" about the bill's chances.
The reluctance of most of the committee members to go for García's bill speaks to a number of concerns raised by lawmakers as the nation struggles with inflation and the needs of the workforce.
Some said raising the minimum wage could lead small businesses to raise the price of goods.
The vote to table the bill also may reflect a feeling the state Legislature has been aggressive in increasing the minimum wage following a 2019 initiative that has moved the base rate from $7.50 to $12 an hour this year
The pressures the coronavirus pandemic placed on businesses around the state means the push to raise the minimum wage now may be "too soon ... while these businesses are hanging by a thread," said Rep. Joshua Hernandez, R-Rio Rancho.
"This is just one more thing that they are going to have to face that I do not think they will overcome," he said.
Other lawmakers on the committee questioned whether they should force wage increases on businesses.
"Minimum wage shouldn't be determined by a legislative body," said Rep. Linda Serrato, D-Santa Fe.
Other lawmakers said if minimum-wage workers get a boost in pay, so should every other employee.