What a difference a couple of years makes.
Not so long ago, a flurry of states passed legislation or ballot initiatives to increase their minimum wage rates. As recently as 2009, there were minimum wage increases in 24 states.
Since then, it appears that changes in the political climate and in the economy have completely sapped states’ appetites for any further increases.
Bills to increase the minimum wage have been introduced in several states this year; but until Tuesday, none of them had even come up for a vote.
The one exception was Maine, where the state House of Representatives defeated a bill that would have increased the minimum wage by 25 cents next year and another 25 cents the year after, The Times-Record reported.
Once the economy gains steam, it’s likely that pressure to increase the minimum wage will gain momentum as well. But for the time being, it appears that that the years-long trend of minimum wage hikes has come to a halt.