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Pennsylvania GOP Lawmaker Opens Door To Minimum Wage Deal

Matt Rourke
/
AP
Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, in the Senate chambers before John Fetterman is sworn in as Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019, at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa.

A top Republican lawmaker is opening the door to raising Pennsylvania's minimum wage, but he's also insisting that Democrats lower their sights.

Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman said Monday that Gov. Tom Wolf's latest proposal isn't reasonable and not worth discussing.

Corman wouldn't define what he views as a reasonable increase. But he suggests there's enough Senate Republican support for a more modest increase to bring a bill to the floor.

Wolf, a Democrat, wants to raise Pennsylvania's hourly minimum to $12 this year, making it one of the highest in the nation, with annual 50-cent increases to bring it to $15 an hour in 2025.

Pennsylvania has been at the $7.25 federal minimum since 2009, while most states and each Pennsylvania neighbor have raised their minimums.