Minimum wage hike clears Minn. Legislature

ST. PAUL - Lawmakers are ignoring Governor Tim Pawlenty's threat to veto a minimum wage hike.

Both houses of the Minnesota Legislature have passed a bill to raise the minimum wage in two stages.

The vote was 40-18 in the Senate and 89-45 in the House.

The bill would raise the lowest hourly wage for workers at large companies by 60 cents to $6.75 in mid-July and another dollar a year later. That's for businesses with annual sales above $625,000.

Smaller employers would have to pay at least 50 cents more an hour, or $5.75, starting in July and their minimum wage would go up to $6.75 a year later.

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