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State may raise minimum wage

Democrats propose elevation in Wisconsin’s rate to $7.60, index for inflation increases

Democrats introduced the first three bills of the new legislative session, including a raise in minimum wage, early this month to the Wisconsin Senate.

The bills will be a major priority for Democrats, who are in control of both the Senate and Assembly for the first time in years.

The first bill, authored by Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston, was a proposal to raise the minimum wage in Wisconsin from $6.50 to $7.60 and then index the wage with inflation in consecutive years, updating it to keep pace with the changing economy.

According to Decker, the wage increase is an important step up for Wisconsin families, especially considering the current economic condition of the state and country.

“The minimum wage should be increased because the people at the bottom of the wage earning scale are getting pinched the hardest,” said Decker spokesperson Carrie Lynch. “The people just above minimum wage earners usually get a raise as well, which helps out single mothers the most.”

Currently, the bill is in the Committee on Labor, Election, and Urban Affairs.

The second bill, The Employee Wage Protection Act, was introduced and authored by Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine. The bill requires companies that are going out of business to pay employees their wages before they pay their banks and other creditors.

Currently, there is a $3,000 cap on the amount of money companies must pay to their employees, but this bill would require companies to pay employees all of their wages first.

“When companies go out of business, workers struggle to make ends meet,” said Lehman spokesperson Mark Browne. “They shouldn’t be additionally challenged to get the wages they’ve already earned.”

This bill is presently in the Labor Committee.

The final bill was introduced by Sen. Judy Robson, D-Janesville, and would require insurance companies to cover treatment for autistic children.

According to Nadine Gratz, legislative analysis for Robson, the bill is important for Wisconsin families who have children with developmental disorders.

Currently, insurance companies in Wisconsin are not required to pay for autism treatment, though 11 other states have laws similar to Robson’s proposal.

“One of the things we’ve learned is that the sooner that children get treatment, the more beneficial the treatment is, so when they reach school age, they’re able to function cognitively and physically,” Gratz said. “Treatment for children ages three to five can cost up to $60,000, a cost most families pay out of pocket. There is no reason that it shouldn’t be covered like any other disorder.”

The bill was sent to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.

According to Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, both the minimum wage increase and the required coverage of autism treatment by insurance companies will be detrimental to Wisconsin businesses and their employees.

“By mandating to businesses that they increase their wages and include more things in their health insurance coverage, it will be harder for businesses to stay afloat in these tough economic times since they will have to spend more,” said Fitzgerald spokesperson Kimberly Liedl.

Before the bills can be voted on by the Senate, they must go through their respective committees. If the bills pass the Senate, they will then go to the Assembly to be voted on before being signed into law by Doyle.