Hawaii lawmakers debate minimum wage hike

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HONOLULU — Lawmakers in the Hawaii House have advanced a proposal to raise the minimum wage more slowly than what the Senate had suggested.

HONOLULU — Lawmakers in the Hawaii House have advanced a proposal to raise the minimum wage more slowly than what the Senate had suggested.

The House Labor Committee debated the bill Tuesday.

The minimum wage in Hawaii has stood at $7.25 per hour for the past seven years. But supporters of the hike say the cost of living has increased. The bill would raise the minimum wage gradually until it reaches $10.10 per hour in 2018, instead of reaching that level by 2017.

Hawaii is among the most expensive states to live in the nation.