The California Senate has approved a plan to again raise California's minimum wage, lifting it to $13 an hour in 2017, then tied to the rate of inflation after that.
Senators on Monday approved the bill, SB3 by Sen. Mark Leno, on a 23-15 vote, with Republican lawmakers opposed.
The proposal by the San Francisco Democrat comes just two years after Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation giving California one of the highest minimum wage rates in the nation. It is currently $9 an hour and will rise to $10 an hour in 2016.
Leno says that rate does not reflect the cost of living in California. He says his plan would bring workers to the federal poverty level while stimulating the economy.
The California Chamber of Commerce has labeled Leno's bill as a "job killer."
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