House panel passes bill to boost Kentucky minimum wage

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky House committee has approved a bill to increase the state’s minimum wage as House Speaker Greg Stumbo renews his push to boost pay for low-wage workers.

The bill cleared the House Labor and Industry Committee Thursday. It’s similar to last year’s proposal that passed the House but died in the Senate.

This year’s bill seeks to gradually raise the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 per hour in July 2017. Stumbo says about 400,000 Kentuckians earn less than $10.10 an hour.

He says many minimum-wage workers are women trying to support their families.

The bill would exempt retail stores, service businesses, hotels, motels and restaurants with annual gross sales under $500,000 per year. Still, business representatives said the bill would be a hardship for employers.