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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 » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Former Jackson County sheriff's lieutenant cleared of misconduct allegations ... Contractor allegedly traded contraband for sex with inmates at Jackson County Jail ... Co-conspirator gets 25 months in prison in Carson Helicopter crash case ... Former Jackson County sheriff's lieutenant cleared of misconduct allegations ... Contractor allegedly traded contraband for sex with inmates at Jackson County Jail ... Co-conspirator gets 25 months in prison in Carson Helicopter crash case ... LEGISLATURE Oregon House speaker unveils $13 minimum wage proposal Kotek says she wants to keep issue in lawmakers' minds Comment By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Jun. 15, 2015 at 7:29 PM By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Jun. 15, 2015 at 7:29 PM » Social News   SALEM — House Speaker Tina Kotek unveiled a proposal Monday to gradually raise Oregon's statewide minimum wage to $13 an hour by 2018 and give local governments the right to go higher if they choose. The change would give Oregon the nation's highest minimum wage Jan. 1, when all workers would have to be paid at least $11 an hour, up from the current $9.25. The wage floor would go up $1 a year until it hits $13 an hour in 2018. Coming less than a month before lawmakers must wrap up the legislative session, Kotek's proposal is a longshot. She said she hopes to at least start a debate that can continue after lawmakers leave Salem. Kotek also acknowledged that raising the minimum wage is viewed skeptically by some of her fellow Democrats in the Senate. "It's hard when people are really scraping to get by and we're not taking up important issues," said Kotek, a Portland Democrat. "So I'm just trying to make sure this important issue is still there by the end of session." Kotek said raising the minimum wage statewide would get low-income workers across the state closer to a sustainable wage while allowing jurisdictions with higher costs, like Portland, go further. Business interests and Republicans object to raising the minimum wage or lifting the pre-emption, which prohibits local governments from setting their own pay requirements. "They do not have a bookkeeper full time," said Jan Meekcoms, Oregon state director for the National Federation of Independent Businesses, a small business lobby group. "They do not have an HR department. The administrative nightmare of keeping track of all this, in different jurisdictions with different wages, would be horrific." Advocates of raising the minimum wage have proposed a ballot measure setting it at $15 statewide. Justin Norton-Kertson of the group 15 Now PDX, which proposed the ballot measure, said he welcomed Kotek's proposal. If her bill were to pass, the group of labor and liberal groups pushing for the increase would decide whether to continue pushing a ballot measure to reach $15. By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Jonathan J. Cooper The Associated Press Posted Jun. 15, 2015 at 7:29 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