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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 Emergency services, Oct. 16 ... Since You Asked: Park resurfacing delayed during winter ... SOU training gives tips on what to do if there's an active shooter ... Emergency services, Oct. 16 ... Since You Asked: Park resurfacing delayed during winter ... SOU training gives tips on what to do if there's an active shooter ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Oklahoma sets the low bar on minimum wage Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 10, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 10, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News I know that there has been a lot of talk about raising the minimum wage to as much as $15 and that Oregon already has one of the higher minimum wages. But that got me to thinking — who has the lowest minimum wage and how low is it? — Barry, Medford Pretty darn low, Barry, pretty darn low. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Oklahoma takes the cheapskate cake — businesses there with fewer than 10 employees and sales of less than $100,000 are required to pay a minimum wage of $2 an hour. Here are some of the other lowballers: For businesses in Montana with less than $110,000 in sales, the minimum wage is $4 an hour. Both Georgia and Wyoming have minimum wages of $5.15 an hour, which is about two-thirds of the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Wait, you ask, how can a state have a minimum wage below that mandated by Congress? Well, it seems the federal minimum wage must be met by any business in those states involved in interstate commerce or that does business with the feds. Businesses that operate solely within their own boundaries and don't have federal customers can pay at a level below the national minimum. Currently, 29 states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Five states, all in the south, have not adopted a state minimum wage and instead rely on the federal minimum. They are Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. The highest statewide minimum wage is Washington state at $9.47, followed by Oregon at $9.25. There is one place higher than both, however. But it's not a state, it's the other Washington, our nation's capital, which raised its minimum wage to $10.50 on July 1. In Oregon, a group is moving forward with a ballot measure to raise the statewide minimum wage to $15 an hour. A separate group of unions and liberal political organizations is promoting an increase to $13.50 an hour that it says it will seek to have approved in the 2016 legislative session. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 10, 2015 at 12:01 AM » 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