Minimum Wage

Retail giant Hobby Lobby leads by example with new $19.25 minimum hourly wage in Wyoming.

Wyoming's current state minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, but that amount is generally superseded by the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Employees are entitled to the higher of the two wages.

The increase in the minimum wage is part of a $1.9 million dollar COVID-19 stimulus page that is pending in Congress.

States are already able to raise the wage beyond the federal minimum, and many have done so.

Connolly argued that raising the state's minimum wage would help restore the dignity of work for those struggling to get by.

Proponents of raising the wage argued it would be good for Wyoming residents and remove the stigma of the state having the lowest wages in the country.

The bill originally called for a state minimum wage of $9.50 per hour, but that was scaled back in committee.

The bill scaled back the proposed wage increase to match current federal law.

Tipped employees such as waitstaff would see their minimum wage increase from $2.13 to $5.50 per hour.

A Democratic Representative from Cheyenne is sponsoring a bill in the state house that would increase the state's minimum wage from the current $5.15 per hour to $9.50.