The United Labor Legislative Committee (ULLCO) endorsed HB816, a proposal by state Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, which would raise the state minimum wage to $6.15 an hour, or the federal level, whichever is higher. The state minimum wage is currently pegged to the federal minimum wage, which is still bogged down at $5.15/hour. ULLCO would like to raise it to a level that would keep a family out of poverty.
One way to help would be to raise the minimum wage every time prices go up with a cost-of-living formula (COLA). House Speaker Tom Craddick wants to peg the gasoline tax to rising prices, which would clearly raise a lot of money from poor people.
At the national level, there were two bills to raise the minimum wage. Congress settled the conflict between them by turning down both.