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The Senate and Assembly today each gave approval to legislation making New Jersey’s minimum wage $15 an hour. The bill goes to Gov. Phil Murphy, who is all but guaranteed to sign it.

The vote brings an end to a two-week fight over the measure in which thousands of businesses spoke out.

“New Jersey’s small business community wrote thousands of letters to our lawmakers and testified how they will struggle, stagnate or fail when this legislation is signed by the governor. With today’s passage, the urgent concerns of this community have not been heard,” Siekerka said.

New Jersey’s minimum wage would go to $10 an hour on July 1 and then to $11 an hour Jan. 1, 2020. After that, it would rise a dollar a year until reaching $15 in 2024.

Legislators made some narrow exceptions for business with five or fewer employees, some seasonal workers and farm workers. The exceptions merely delay the increase until later.

Eventually, all businesses would have to pay $15 an hour.

Additionally, the vote came on a day that the Legislature was also set to increase taxes on jet fuel, authorize a new tax on stormwater runoff, and dramatically expand the state’s paid family leave program, as well as several other anti-business bills.

“Every day, our small business owners put themselves on a pathway to a life’s work, to provide jobs, give back to their communities and drive our economy,” Siekerka said. “Rather than help them, our policymakers continue to throw roadblocks to that pathway.”

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