NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee minimum wage could rise from $7.25 an hour to $20 an hour if a new bill passes in the General Assembly.
HB 2602 was introduced by Rep. Gloria Johnson (D - Knoxville) and it aims to increase the minimum wage in Tennessee. The current minimum wage is set the same as the federal minimum wage. She previously proposed a bill in 2020 that would have increased the minimum wage to $15 per hour. That bill did not pass.
Workers making the minimum wage in Tennessee may make $290 per week before taxes.
Tennessee is one of seven states that either has no minimum wage or has a minimum wage of less than $7.25 per hour, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Thirteen states have a minimum wage equalling the federal minimum wage.
Washington State has the highest minimum wage of any state at $16.28 per hour. Washington D.C.'s minimum wage is $17 per hour.
“We are behind,” Johnson said during a Thursday press conference. “People are struggling to keep the lights on and keep food on the table. Other states that have raised the wage are doing well with it.”
According to the Living Wage Calculator by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the living wage for an adult without children in Knox County is $20.85 per hour. MIT said that's how much a person needs to earn to support themselves and cover the minimum basic needs like food, housing, transportation and medical costs.
The bill to raise Tennessee's minimum wage is set to be discussed on the House Banking and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee on Feb. 27. Before then, Johnson is asking people across the state to become citizen endorsers of the bill by signing up online.
Johnson also said Tennessee is in need of a minimum wage change because the current minimum pay rate is not livable, especially as the prices of most goods and homes rise across the state. However, she also said the bill likely won't pass due to opposition from the Republican supermajority.
As part of her campaign for the U.S. Senate, Johnson promised to pursue similar legislation on a national level.
Campaign managers for Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R - TN), Johnson’s likely opposition in the general election, sent NBC affiliate WSMV a statement about the bill too.
“Gloria Johnson is as woke as they come, so it’s no surprise this radical socialist is trying to out-liberal Joe Biden’s minimum wage executive order,” the statement said. “It’s a clear sign she puts the liberal woke agenda and PR stunts before Tennesseans. Meanwhile, Senator Blackburn will continue to protect Tennessee and America and secure a strong economy.”
The Good Jobs Institute said several companies across the U.S. are already hiring workers at rates above the federal minimum wage
