Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek said she thinks the state's minimum wage should rise to $13 per hour.
The Democrat Monday unveiled a proposal that would raise the state's base pay from its current $9.25 per hour over the next three years. Kotek said that while $13 per hour isn't as high as some activists wanted, it should help lift some people out of poverty.
"There's no perfect number but if we can make sure people are living above the poverty line when they work full time, and we can make sure that people have pretty much enough to meet their basic necessities, then we've done our job,” she said.
Kotek will testify in favor of her proposal in front of a House committee this week. But the measure appears to face long odds. Senate President Peter Courtney has said publicly he doesn't think the time is right for lawmakers to act on a minimum wage hike. A spokesman said Monday that Courtney has not changed his opinion on the issue.
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