A $15 minimum wage has become a rallying cry amongst the Democratic Party, and with good reason — it's a great tool to put more American workers on the path to earning a living wage.
Back in 2016, NJ Dems promoted progressive legislation that would make $15 a reality, but decided to hold off until Chris Christie was no longer governor so he couldn't veto it. Now, NJ has a Democratic governor who made minimum wage reform a platform of his campaign, and nevertheless that old bill is nowhere to be found.
Many of the same Dem lawmakers who pushed the bill before when they knew it couldn't pass have "gutted" their original version of the bill after meeting with business interests. Now, the minimum wage won't hit $15 for a lot of workers until 2029, barely keeping up with inflation.
Shame on these lawmakers for backing off their progressive plan as soon they have the means to make the change. When Democrats don't understand why liberals aren't loyal to their party, they should look at examples like this to see how quickly moderate Dems cave to corporate interests at the expense of the change they had promised.
NJ Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Stephen Sweeney, you still have a chance to make this right. Give the voters what they want, and NJ families what they need in increased wages. You had the right bill the first time, so go back to that original one now that you have the power to pass it!
