LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky State Senator Reginald Thomas (D) has pre-filed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 gradually by 2026. The current amount at $7.25 has been the same since 2009 and Thomas says it's time for some change.
"We need to move Kentucky out of poverty," Thomas said. "Let's begin to move Kentucky up the ladder so that we too as a state can have a wonderful quality of life for all Kentuckians."
Under this proposed plan, tip wages would also be increased over the next four years for servers and those in the food industry.
Four Pegs owner and chef, Chris Williams, says employees like his deserve much more than the minimum wage, and need it to survive.
"I think it's absolutely preposterous that anybody would still be making $7.25 an hour," Williams said.
That's why they don't use that $7.25 as a starting point for employees salaries. Williams says it's not representative of the cost of living.
"Ya know, my guys work extremely hard. Working in the restaurants is tough. They sweat they bleed, cry. They definitely deserve money for their hard work I mean and they deserve to live and they can't live on anything like $7.25 an hour," Williams said. "I mean we personally don't pay our employees anything near that. I think $15 is a great place to end up."
While his people at Four Pegs are taken care, Williams says there needs to be a higher minimum to protect all employees.
"It's really important to take care of their employees and that's why we pay them as much as we do. We care about them, they are a part of our family, and I wouldn't want to see my family struggle so we do our best to make sure they don't," Williams said.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer (R) says he feels raising the minimum wage would put more businesses out of work, and cost people their jobs. He also says the free market should determine how much employees make.
"We're not going to raise the minimum wage," Thayer said. "Government should not be in the business of telling business how much to pay its employees."
This is not the first time Thomas has proposed this legislation, but in the past, it hasn't gotten very far. He says regardless of the republican majority he has hope.
"We cannot sit on our hands, come January 5, we cannot go back in the corner and be silent," Thomas said.
He specifically referenced states like Florida that also have strong Republican leadership, but who largely voted for the minimum wage increase.
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