ST. PAUL (AP) - The bill ushering in one of the nation's highest minimum wages is hitting the Minnesota Senate floor and could reach Gov. Mark Dayton by week's end.

It would push Minnesota's minimum wage for most employers to $9.50 per hour by summer 2016. It's $6.15 now.

The raises come in three steps, starting with a bump to $8 this August.

Minnesota now has one of the country's lowest floor wages. When fully phased in, the new wage could be in the top five. Washington state currently leads at $9.32 per hour, but Connecticut and Maryland are both on course to get to $10.10 within a few years.

Minnesota's rate would be linked to inflation, providing annual raises from 2018 forward. If economic conditions deteriorate, a gubernatorial administration could suspend the escalator.

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