Although the years and dollars amounts are different, our current situation is similar to what happened in 2019. That year the House passed a $12.50 minimum wage bill with the Senate passing Sen. Taniguchi’s $15 bill, so they needed to work together on a compromise.

That year, after a full year of a stagnant minimum wage, the conference conferee and finance committee chairwoman, Rep. Sylvia Luke, refused to agree to any minimum wage raise. This includes the $12.50 bill the House had already passed through their chamber twice over the previous few months. This killed any chance of raising the minimum wage and left workers with no raises despite both chambers passing increases during the 2019 session.

With media coverage spread out among the hundreds of bills that get passed and die during this time, it was easier for Rep. Luke and House Speaker Scott Saiki to dodge public responsibility for killing the bill.

Then in 2020 the House proposed a $13 minimum wage bill that was ultimately killed and in 2021 the House passed no minimum wage bills. Now in 2022 both chambers have passed $18 bills and it’s again time to work out the details.

Given the recent history of House behavior, workers are fearful that Luke and Saiki will once again renege on their proposal.