Lee County Supervisors Pass Minimum Wage Ordinance Amid Pending Legislation to Ban Local Wage Increases

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Lee County is now the fifth county in Iowa to increase their minimum wage above the state and national level of $7.25 an hour, as the Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance to raise the wage in that county to $8.20 an hour at Tuesday’s board meeting.

This ordinance was passed as a measure to ban local governments from increasing their minimum wage awaits a signature from Governor Terry Branstad after passing Iowa Senate in a 29-21 vote on Monday.

Four Iowa counties have approved minimum hourly wages above the state and federal level of $7.25. Polk County, one of the four, was scheduled to have its first wage increase Saturday.

More than 20 states have laws that pre-empt local governments from raising wages, but Iowa’s reversal of pay raises make it unusual. Organizations say Kentucky appears to be the only other state to retroactively decrease minimum wages.