When it comes to money, Democrats and Republicans don’t agree on much in Olympia.
But there’s a common consensus when it comes to the cost of living — constituents across the state are struggling with a number of affordability issues, such as housing, groceries and health care.
A group of House Democrats wants to see the state’s minimum wage raised to $25 to support low-wage workers. Republicans want to see the cost of goods go down.
House Bill 1764 proposes raising the state’s hourly minimum wage to $25 at the start of 2031 by making yearly increases of $1.50 beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Some Republicans feel that raising wages fails to address the root cause of the state’s affordability issues and business owners have raised concerns about the impact of rising labor costs.
The state’s current hourly minimum wage of $16.66 is the second highest in the country (behind Washington, D.C.), with local jurisdictions like Seattle boasting a minimum wage of more than $20 an hour. Some lawmakers say it still isn’t enough to make ends meet.
Continue reading this story in the Seattle Times.