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Philly Dems rally for minimum-wage hike

The legislation appears to be DOA, like a similar effort 2 years ago.

“The whole focus should be how do we get people back working, how do we improve the state’s economy,” said state Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia.
“The whole focus should be how do we get people back working, how do we improve the state’s economy,” said state Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia.Read more
    by BY CHRIS BRENNAN, Daily News Staff Writer <a href="mailto:brennac@phillynews.com">brennac@phillynews.com</a>, 215-854-5973
    Published 

STATE SENS. Tina Tartaglione and Vincent Hughes tried to rally support yesterday for legislation to increase the minimum wage in Pennsylvania from $7.25 to $9 per hour by 2015.

The Philadelphia Democrats insisted that the proposal is not dead-on-arrival in a Republican- controlled General Assembly that rejected a similar effort two years ago.

Tartaglione cited legislation she successfully pushed in 2006 to raise the state minimum wage to $7.15 in 2007.

"Little by little, we were able to change the mind-set of folks," Tartaglione said.

The Senate Democrats had a governor from their own party, Ed Rendell, in office in 2006 to sign that legislation into law.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Corbett yesterday said he would review the legislation but "has significant concerns" about its impact on job creation in the state.

A spokesman for state Sen. Dominic Pileggi, a Delaware County Republican and the Senate majority leader, said there are no plans to move the legislation this fall.

Tartaglione and Hughes said they need just three Republicans to join the 23 Democrats in the Senate to pass the bill.