(File Photo of coins being put in a jar for retirement)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) In January, low-wage workers in Pennsylvania will be missing out on pay hikes seen in twenty-three other states. Neighboring states such as Ohio are starting the new year with higher minimum wages. Gillian Kratzer from Better Pennsylvania says House Democrats are concerned about raising the minimum wage, which has been $7.25 since 2009. She adds that a better economy requires people to have money to spend. Kratzer points out it’s up to the General Assembly to set the minimum wage. She adds that the state House passed House Bill 1500, legislation to raise the minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour by 2026. The idea has bipartisan support, but the Senate has not yet acted on a similar bill, Senate Bill 1186.