NFIB’s state director for Virginia, Nicole Riley, said a bill raising the state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021 would have unintended consequences on small businesses and their employees. Senate Bill 1200 passed the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee today.
“This is bad legislation that’s going to hurt employers and employees alike,” Riley said. “Small-business owners aren’t sitting on piles of cash. If the General Assembly forces them to pay workers more, they’re going to have to make some tough decisions. They’re going to have to raise prices to cover the increases in pay, or they’re going to have to get by with fewer employees.
“The minimum wage was meant to help people just entering the workforce,” Riley said. “If employers can’t afford to hire as many workers, they’re going to hire workers with more training and experience.
“Our members don’t believe state officials should be dictating how much they pay their employees. That’s why we’re urging the Senate to vote no on SB 1200.”
