State Lawmaker renews call for increase in minimum wage

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A state lawmaker is renewing his call to raise Oklahoma's minimum wage. <br/><br/>State Representative Richard Morrissette says he's reviving the issue because skyrocketing

Saturday, September 10th 2005, 11:37 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A state lawmaker is renewing his call to raise Oklahoma's minimum wage.

State Representative Richard Morrissette says he's reviving the issue because skyrocketing fuel prices are harming Oklahoma's working poor.

The Oklahoma City Democrat authored a bill last spring to give businesses tax incentives to voluntarily increase wages. He says he'll file it again next year.

Under the measure, if a business raises wages one-dollar above the lowest legal wage, they would receive a direct tax credit. Morrissette says nothing in the bill is mandatory.

Currently, Oklahoma's minimum wage is five-dollars-and-15-cents an hour. Morrissette says an Oklahoman working for minimum wage will have to work for two days just to pay the increased cost of gas.