Murphy, Lawmakers Reach Deal For $15 Minimum Wage

TRENTON, N.J. (WCBS 880/AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and the Democratic leaders of the Legislature say they've reached a deal to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024.

“We have changed the lives of one million workers in this state,” Murphy said in a Facebook live video.

The Democrats announced the deal Thursday in a statement. If the proposal is enacted, it would raise the current rate from $8.85 to $10 by July 1.

It would then climb by $1 a year until reaching $15 in 2024.

The agreement represents the fulfillment of a Murphy campaign promise that eluded him during his first year, despite full Democratic control in the state.

Though, some aren’t thrilled about the measure.

“You know we have a very unfriendly climate for business in New Jersey, unfortunately, the fifteen dollar minimum wage, even with the slow phase, kind of adds on to that and it's unfortunate,” said Bob Considine, spokesman for the New Jersey Business and Industry Association.

He believes raising the minimum wage will diminish the chances that small businesses have to flourish in the state.

New Jersey would join a handful of states, including California, Massachusetts and New York, in phasing in a $15 hourly wage.