Christie Vetoes Wage Bill

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie last week vetoed a bill to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour over five years.

The legislation would have made New Jersey the third state to adopt a $15 per hour minimum. California and New York have approved such laws.

New Jersey voters agreed to raise the minimum wage to $8.25 in 2013 with the rate tied to the consumer price index. It is now $8.38.

“Despite having a constitutional mandate in place, the legislature now wants to increase the minimum wage by almost 80 percent just three years later,” Christie said in a statement about his veto.

Christie said the bill did not consider the impact on businesses.

Thirty states have set minimum wages above the federal rate of $7.25 an hour, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.   Source: Reuters