NM Sen. Altamirano Introduces Minimum Wage Bill

As reported in the the Santa Fe New Mexican:

Minimum wage: A bill to raise the state's minimum wage to $7.50 over two years was introduced this week by Senate President Pro Tem Ben Altamirano, D-Silver City. The bill (SB 324) would increase the state's minimum wage of $5.15 an hour -- which is the same as the federal pay floor -- to $6.50 next year and to $7.50 in 2009.

Under the bill, local governments would be prohibited from raising their minimum wages higher than the state's until Jan. 1, 2013. However, that provision would not apply to local governments that already have set their minimum wages higher than the state's, such as Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

House Speaker Ben Luján, D-Nambé, is expected to introduce a competing proposal to increase New Mexico's minimum wage to $7.50 an hour. Gov. Bill Richardson backs Altamirano's bill but also is willing to work with other lawmakers on legislation to boost the state's minimum wage, said Eric Witt, Richardson's director of legislative affairs.

You can see a copy of Sen. Altamirano's bill, SB 324, here, as well as track its progress. It will go first to the Senate Corporations & Transportation Committee (SCORC). Click for membership. If it passes there, it will go next to the Senate Finance Committee (SFC).

Something to keep in mind is there is no guarantee that the minimum wage will be raised at the federal level this year. Although a minimum wage bill passed in the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate's bill to raise the minimum wage nationally is essentially being filibustered by Republicans because they want a tax cut for small businesses added. Senate supporters of the bill don't have the 60 votes needed to bring the bill to a vote without amendments. Read more.

Here's the vote tally. NM Sen. Pete Domenici voted against cloture (for the filibuster). No Democrats voted against cloture, and they were joined by 5 Republicans: Senators Coleman, Collins, Warner, Snowe and Specter who were against the filibuster.