© 2024 KRWG
News that Matters.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Voters Approve Minimum Wage Increases, But Congress Won't Take it Up

Supporters of Proposition 1 which raises the minimum wage to $15 in SeaTac, Washington, celebrate their victory. (Craig Newcomb/Twitter)
Supporters of Proposition 1 which raises the minimum wage to $15 in SeaTac, Washington, celebrate their victory. (Craig Newcomb/Twitter)

Last night, New Jersey voters approved a constitutional amendment to raise the minimum wage by a dollar to $8.25 an hour.

And in SeaTac, Washington, a proposition that would make the minimum wage in some in airport-related industries $15 an hour was leading with over 50 percent of the vote.

But if raising the minimum wage is so popular with voters, why won’t Congress take up the issue?

NPR’s Marilyn Geewax joins Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson to explain.

Guest

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.