***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

Assembly Democratic Leadership on Final Legislative Approval of Bill to Boost New Jersey's Minimum Wage

Measure Would Increase Minimum Wage to $8.50/hr; Requires Annual Adjustments

(TRENTON) - Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex), Deputy Speaker John S. Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), Majority Conference Leader Gordon M. Johnson (D-Bergen) and Assembly Budget Committee Chair Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) on Wednesday issued a multimedia package on the final legislative approval of their bill to increase New Jersey's hourly minimum wage to $8.50 and require the rate to then be adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index.

The multimedia package consists of a video of the sponsors discussing the benefits of their legislation and the need to increase the state's minimum wage and audio and a transcript of same.

The video can be accessed directly via our website - www.assemblydems.com - or by clicking here.

The Assembly initially voted to approve the bill in May. The Senate approved it on Thursday. The Assembly then had to reconsider it because of amendments that moved the effective date to March 1, 2013 and the start of the CPI indexing to Jan. 1, 2014. The Assembly gave final legislative approval to the measure by a vote of 44-33-1. It now heads to the governor.

The bill is sponsored by Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic), Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer (D-Essex), Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Camden), Speaker Pro Tem Jerry Green (D-Union/Middlesex/Somerset), Majority Conference Leader Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen), Budget Chairman Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson/Bergen) and Deputy Speaker John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex).

Speaker Oliver, during the Assembly reorganization ceremony in January, announced increasing the minimum wage - which is currently $7.25 per hour - would be a Democratic priority this legislative session.

The bill (A-2162) specifically increases New Jersey's hourly minimum wage rate to $8.50 on and then requires it be adjusted annually based on any increase in the Consumer Price Index, with the adjustment taking effect on July 1 of each year.

To read more, please visit the New Jersey General Assembly Democratic Office Web site.

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