Louisiana lawmakers have once again rejected efforts to set a state minimum wage above the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.
The House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee voted against two bills that would have set a minimum wage of $10 an hour starting in 2025 that would grow to $12 an hour or more in subsequent years. Both bills were brought by Democrats.
The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry opposed the bills. The majority-Republican Legislature has rejected such proposals year after year.
Louisiana is one of only five states without its own minimum wage. Thirty states have minimum wages above $7.25 an hour.
The committee also rejected a bill to prohibit employers from discriminating against employees based on gender identity and sexual orientation.