Sure looks that way. Rep. Bryon Short, chair of the House Lapdog Committee (aka the House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance/Commerce) wrote in today’s News-Journal that he now supports legislation to increase Delaware’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.25 an hour:
I voted against releasing the legislation from committee at both hearings. In addition to my votes, I have stated I understood the role of minimum wage, supported minimum wage as sound public policy, and that I looked forward to the right time in our economic recovery to vote in support of the bill. I believe now is the right time to support and pass a minimum wage increase for Delaware workers.
Good. What this really means is that Gov. Markell and his designated delay agents have decided that further stalling on minimum wage is not politically tenable.
Short also wants to restore to the bill a provision that Markell had opposed and had gotten dropped:
During the 2012 hearing on the minimum wage bill, I raised the option of indexing the minimum wage – tying future wage increases to the Consumer Price Index – as is done in several other states…(t)he original bill Sen. Robert Marshall introduced this past spring incorporated indexing the minimum wage, but it was amended out of the legislation. I still believe that indexing has strong merit and should be considered as the bill moves forward.
Got three words for ya: Just do it. HT to ET…thanks for phoning home.