Memphis Rep. Hardaway Proposes $15 Minimum Wage

NASHVILLE – A debate could be brewing in the General Assembly this session over increasing Tennessee’s minimum wage.

Democratic Rep. G.A. Hardaway of Memphis is pushing legislation to more than double the federal rate of $7.25 per hour, calling low wages more than an economic matter.

“We’ve talked so much about parental influence and home training, parents working three or four jobs just to make what they should make off of one job,” Hardaway says. “That leaves their children to the street.”

Hardaway’s bill would increase the rate to $15 per hour and provide a minimum wage for those working in the service industry who receive tips and are compensated solely by gratuities. It authorizes the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to oversee the rules in compliance with federal law.

Read more: https://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2017/jan/23/memphis-rep-hardaway-proposes-15-minimum-wage/