MACON, Ga. — Some Georgia lawmakers are pushing to increase the state's minimum wage to $15. Currently, the minimum wage in Georgia is $5.15. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 and has remained at that level since 2009.
Carl Fambro is the owner of Francar's Buffalo Wings. He says if the minimum wage increased to $15 an hour. He would then have to charge customers more for his food. "The $8 hamburger is going to be $12, $13, or $14," Fambro said.
"We've been trying to reduce the price of the wings over the last 12 months, and we've done it to some extent. But that's going to stop, and the wings are going to go back up again," Fambro said.
Fambro says it's been a challenge adjusting to inflation lately. He says either the price of goods goes up or it's not available for a while. But, the biggest issue his business faces is getting folks to work in the first place.
"Of course, $15 an hour is going to give people more pocket change. But, for me, it's having someone, who's willing to work, who wants to work, and who will work," Fambro said.
Currently -- he pays his two full-time and seven part-time employees $10 an hour.
"This is essentially unskilled labor. You don't need a high school education. You just need to read, write and follow instructions," Fambro said.
Fambro used to pay his employees $7.50.
"I kind of knew $10 was coming something in that neighborhood. But I never thought $15 would come. Not here in Georgia," Fambro said.
State Representative Dewey McClain filed House Bill 241 last week. He proposes the state raise its minimum wage by about 10 dollars.
"If we did this, half of the working Georgians can at least make $31,200 a year. We've got 31% of the population of working Georgians that do not make that amount of money," McClain said.
In Georgia – some students, farmers and certain small business employees not covered by the *federal minimum wage may earn the state's minimum wage of $5.15 an hour. That's one of the lowest minimum wages in the nation, alongside Wyoming.
This is the 6th time in his 10 years as a state representative that McClain has tried to get a minimum wage increase. He says he'd like to see Georgians be able to vote on it. Democratic state representative Stacey Evans filed another bill to allow local governments to set their minimum wage.