{"id":308420,"date":"2017-03-18T18:48:41","date_gmt":"2017-03-19T00:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=308420"},"modified":"2017-03-18T20:57:56","modified_gmt":"2017-03-19T02:57:56","slug":"governor-vows-to-veto-both-bills-to-raise-states-minimum-wage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/03\/governor-vows-to-veto-both-bills-to-raise-states-minimum-wage\/","title":{"rendered":"Governor vows to veto both bills to raise state’s minimum wage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gov. Susana Martinez said Saturday<\/span><\/span> she will veto legislation that would\u00a0increase the state’s minimum wage.<\/p>\n

\"Susana

Heath Haussamen \/ NMPolitics.net<\/p>

Gov. Susana Martinez<\/p><\/div>\n

Lawmakers approved two bills during the 60-day legislative session to raise the wage of New Mexico’s lowest-paid workers, who make $7.50 an hour.<\/p>\n

One bill would have raised the minimum wage to $9 an hour, and the other called for an increase to $9.25.<\/p>\n

But soon after legislators adjourned Saturday<\/span><\/span>, the Republican governor told reporters both increases are too high for small businesses to afford.<\/p>\n

“I was willing to compromise,” Martinez said, adding that an increase to between $8 and $9 an hour would have been acceptable.<\/p>\n

Republicans in the House of Representatives even proposed changing one of the minimum wage bills to fall within that range. But Democrats voted down that suggestion, and some argued that $9.25 is not high enough or should at least be increased annually based on the cost of living.<\/p>\n

Democrats still touted their proposals to raise the minimum wage as major accomplishments of the legislative session.<\/p>\n

House Bill 442<\/a> would have increased the statewide minimum wage to $9.25 an hour Jan. 1, 2018<\/span><\/span>. Democrats say it would have put another $3,000 a year in the pockets of those at the bottom of the pay scale.<\/p>\n