Lawmakers may raise Virginia’s minimum wage

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Legislation to raise the minimum wage in Virginia is moving through both the House and Senate.

The current minimum wage in the commonwealth is $12 an hour. If passed, SB1 and HB1 would raise it to $13.50 by the start of 2025.

Some Republicans say they’re concerned about how raising the minimum wage could affect small businesses, as well as the cost of goods & labor.

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy believes businesses can accommodate.

“When you raise it up over time, in relatively modest amounts like we’re doing right now, what we find is that businesses can accommodate it, that it doesn’t cause inflation,” Kim Bobo with VICPP said Friday, January 19. “What it does is it gets people out of poverty.

SB1 has been referred to the Finance and Appropriations Committee, while HB1 has been referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

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