Today, Pennsylvania state representatives argued for hours on a bill to raise the state's minimum wage-- before voting to pass the bill on party lines, 102 to 101.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have supported increasing minimum wage for years. Pennsylvania's current divided legislature, and disagreements between Republican legislatures and Democratic governors in years past, have kept the policy at status quo.

Pennsylvania's minimum wage is still the same as the federal level-- $7.25 an hour.

House bill 1549 increases minimum wage to $15 in Philadelphia, $13 in medium sized counties, and $12 in small counties, over a period of three years. The bill then includes an annual cost of living adjustment every year going forward. Rates for what business owners can pay tipped employees would also change.

The 2024 minimum wage report from the Department of Labor and Industry says less than 1% of Pennsylvanians work at minimum wage. Around 5% of Pennsylvania workers earn “near minimum wage", which is any hourly pay between $7.25 and $12.

"If we force businesses to raise wages across the board, they'll often respond by cutting hours, reducing staff or raising prices. Hurting everyone, especially low income families,” said Rep. Tim O’Neal, a Republican from Washington County.

“That means that we still have workers in Pennsylvania, working for $7.25 an hour,” said Rep. Emily Kinkead, a Democrat from Allegheny County. "And that is not acceptable. It is clear that the market is not correcting this problem. It is clear that when left to its own devices, capitalism exploits workers."

The house bill will most likely go to a committee chaired by Sen. Dan Laughlin-- and Erie Republican.

Laughlin supports minimum wage, but says he does not approve of this bill. He plans to introduce his own minimum wage bill, with a number that is “lower than what people would like, but that will get the conversation started,”.

This is the third year that House Democrats and Senate Republicans are negotiating the state budget. There is a high probability minimum wage is included in negotiations-- but nothing is guaranteed.