Progressive Legislative Caucus hopes to raise minimum wage and legalize cannabis

When the Progressive Legislative Caucus formed right before last year’s legislative session, the group of 13 state representatives and five senators didn’t have enough time to prepare a bill package. After a year of preparation, the caucus hopes to pass five bills covering a wide range of topics. One would raise the state minimum wage to $18 per hour over several years, and the other would add a conveyance tax on empty vacation homes. “$18 an hour minimum wage — the bill proposes to reach that benchmark by 2027 to eliminate the tip credit, and then to link the minimum wage to inflation every year thereafter. The 2022 State Legislative Session begins Wednesday, Jan. 19.