Wyoming House Rejects Raising Minimum Wage

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A proposal to raise the state minimum wage in Wyoming to the federal level of $7.25 per hour has been defeated in the state House.

House Bill 140 failed on a 40-20 vote Tuesday.

Wyoming's current minimum wage is $5.15 an hour for employees not covered by the federal minimum wage. Wyoming's minimum wage is tied for the lowest in the country among the states that have minimum wages.

Most workers in the state are subject to the higher federal minimum wage.

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.

But opponents say free enterprise should be allowed to work and the higher wage would cause some employers financial stress.