Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Bottle deposit increase may help boost returns ... Gray wolf spotted by trail cam in Siskiyou County ... Medford drive-by shooting suspect linked to Portland shooting ... Our View: Bottle deposit increase may help boost returns ... Gray wolf spotted by trail cam in Siskiyou County ... Medford drive-by shooting suspect linked to Portland shooting ... $15 minimum wage bill dead in Oregon Senate Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 4:04 PM Updated Mar 26, 2015 at 4:52 PM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 4:04 PM Updated Mar 26, 2015 at 4:52 PM » Social News State Senate President Peter Courtney unequivocally said Thursday a $15 hourly minimum wage bill won't make it to the floor this session. Speaking to members of several Southern Oregon chambers of commerce, Courtney acknowledged he will take heat from his own party, but said his mind is made up. "I have said, and this has gotten me in trouble — I'm not going to do minimum wage this session," the Salem Democrat said. "I will not do minimum wage, and I'm a Democrat and that has not endeared me to my family. "I support minimum wage, and I said that at the campaign when I ran for re-election," Courtney said. "I'm going to do the sick-leave thing, but I'm not going to do minimum wage. I'm being vilified, and that's OK because as a Democrat that's a litmus test. ... The reason is, I do think you have to be careful about how far you go with these things because of small business owners and economics of small businesses." He said there will be committee hearings, but the bill won't come to the floor. "That's a tough statement to make, but I made it here," Courtney said. "I will deal with the heat." Courtney is still championing Senate Bill 454, which would mandate employers statewide provide sick pay for their workers. Even without support of the senate president, who determines which bills make the floor, the minimum wage bill could wiggle its way to reality, Grants Pass Republican Sen. Herman Baertschiger Jr. told the chamber groups, adding a lot of dead bills are exhumed and attached as riders near the end of the session. "The speaker (Tina Kotek, D-Portland) wants it more than she wants to breathe," Roseburg Republican Jeff Kruse told the business leaders when asked about the matter. Medford/Jackson County Chamber CEO Brad Hicks said his organization is relieved to hear Courtney's position. "We've already seen Seattle create a lot of ex-workers and an exodus of small businesses with their new $15 minimum wage," Hicks said. "That is the type of hit a slowly recovering Oregon economy can hardly bear. Nobody wants Oregonians to flourish and hold family-wage jobs more than chambers of commerce across this state, but prosperity by government edict is no way to achieve that goal." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31 , and read his blog at www.mailtribune.com/ Economic Edge . By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 26, 2015 at 4:04 PM Updated Mar 26, 2015 at 4:52 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501