Lawmakers advance Hawaii minimum wage hike

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HONOLULU — Hawaii’s minimum wage would rise by almost $3 in three years under a bill state lawmakers are advancing.

HONOLULU — Hawaii’s minimum wage would rise by almost $3 in three years under a bill state lawmakers are advancing.

The minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour for the past seven years. The bill would raise that by 95 cents a year until it reaches $10.10 an hour in 2017.

But it won’t repeal the tip credit that lets employers count part of a worker’s tips against wages they have to pay. It also won’t tie future minimum wage increases to the cost of living.

A full-time minimum wage worker in Hawaii earns about $15,000 a year.

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means advanced the bill Friday. The bill must now be voted on by the full Senate.

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