Post by Logan on Feb 12, 2016 19:33:31 GMT -6
SALEM — The Oregon Senate approved monumental increases to the minimum wage Thursday night, a major breakthrough on what's become the defining issue of the legislative session.
It was a watershed moment for Democrats, who after months of talk muscled through a bill they said would help people in Portland meet surging costs of living without hurting rural towns still strapped after the last recession.
Senate Bill 1532 passed 16-12, with Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, voting no with Republicans. The bill now heads to the House, where it faces another partisan fight.
The vote followed a six-hour floor debate — the longest in memory at the Capitol — that saw Republicans use a series of procedural maneuvers to lambast Democrats for moving too quickly and risking a massive blow to rural economies.
Read more: www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/02/oregon_senate_passes_minimum_w.html
It was a watershed moment for Democrats, who after months of talk muscled through a bill they said would help people in Portland meet surging costs of living without hurting rural towns still strapped after the last recession.
Senate Bill 1532 passed 16-12, with Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, voting no with Republicans. The bill now heads to the House, where it faces another partisan fight.
The vote followed a six-hour floor debate — the longest in memory at the Capitol — that saw Republicans use a series of procedural maneuvers to lambast Democrats for moving too quickly and risking a massive blow to rural economies.
Read more: www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/02/oregon_senate_passes_minimum_w.html