The state's minimum wage should be raised to $7.25 by this August, says Rep. Stephen Zaiser, D-Fargo. The state's current minimum wage is $5.15.

One of at least four bills intended to raise the state's minimum wage was heard in the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee on Tuesday, and it received equal attention on both the opposing and supporting sides.

Most contentious about this bill, HB1337, were the speed in which it would apply, its automatic wage adjustment -which would attempt to account for inflation -and to whom it would apply.

Rep. Dan Ruby, R-Minot, expressed concern that smaller, rural businesses with only one or two employees would suffer the most from such a dramatic increase. And Rep. Don Vigesaa, R-Cooperstown, suggested that such an increase would create a domino effect in pricing of products and services.

But Zaiser maintained that pricing and cost of business would not be so negatively impacted, adding that an increase in pricing is better than allowing workers to live below the poverty level.

"I'm willing to pay more money for something so another person doesn't have to live in their car, or only eat macaroni and cheese,"Zaiser said.

The bill would change the law for minimum wage in the state to $7.25 an hour for all workers by August, and would adjust the wage each year, starting in 2008, according to the average consumer price index.

Bill Shalhoob, lobbyist for the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce, spoke in support of raising the minimum wage, but only in the case that the state follows exactly what the federal government is doing by way of wage "pegs,"or increases over the next couple of years: the federal bill recently passed in the House would bring the federal minimum wage up to $7.25 in three increases by 2009.

HB1337 was put on hold until today's hearing on another committee bill, HB1454, which raises the minimum wage to at least $7 an hour by 2009. Today's bill, however, allows an employer working in smaller communities or who may have a small business to pay less than the state's minimum.

And two bills will soon be heard in the Senate regarding minimum wage:SB2122 and SB 2370, both very similar to the federal bill.

(Reach reporter Crystal R. Reid at 250-8261 or at crystal.reid@;bismarcktribune.com.)