Minimum Wage Hike, All-Day K Among 1st Minnesota Bills

ST. PAUL (AP) - A big jump in Minnesota's minimum wage could be on the horizon.

Among the priority bills in the Democratic-controlled Legislature is a proposal to raise the floor wage to $7.50 for most workers at the bottom rung beginning in August. That's $1.35 more than the current hourly minimum that large employers must pay their employers. Smaller businesses, as defined by their annual sales, pay a lower rate but that would rise as well.

The bill introduced in the state Senate goes further by making future increases automatic and linked to inflation. The minimum wage last went up in 2005.

Another top bill would provide state money for districts that offer all-day kindergarten. That bill is likely to be drawn into a budget debate that has yet to take full shape.

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