Richmond, Virginia—Republican members of the House Committee on Commerce and Energy, Subcommittee #2 voted to pass HB320 and HB296, two bill that would cap the minimum wage at $11 an hour, and prevent it from eventually reaching $15 an hour as working families have been demanding for years. With this vote, Republicans have shown, once again, that they will always choose wealthy corporations over hardworking families in our communities. 

“Capping the minimum wage at $11 an hour is unacceptable. Full stop,” LaTwyla Mathias, Executive Director at Progress Virginia, said. “Working families need representatives who will side with them over giant corporations, and this is just more proof that Republicans won’t do that. No one should have to choose between putting food in their children’s bellies or keeping the lights on so their kids can do their homework. We’ll keep fighting until every single working family in our Commonwealth makes at least $15 an hour.” 

Background:

Earlier this week, members of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee rejected a similar bill, so we are hopeful that if this bill does cross over to the Senate, it won’t make it to the Governor’s desk. 

The minimum wage is currently scheduled to increase to $12 an hour in 2023 and then members of the legislature will have to vote again to get it all the way to the $15 an hour working families in our community need. 

Working people in Virginia who will benefit from the increase to $12 an hour in 2023 from $11 an

hour in 2022 are almost all adults and most are working full-time. Specifically:

○ 9 out of 10 are age 20 or older

○ 5 out of 10 are people of color

○ 6 out of 10 are women

○ 7 out of 10 work at least 35 hours a week