By Katherine Gregg
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A Senate committee has approved a bill to raise Rhode Island's minimum wage from $7.75 to $8 an hour on Jan. 1, 2014.
When it was first introduced by Sen. Erin Lynch, D-Warwick, the legislation would have increased the minimum wage to $8.25.
It would have allowed the state's Department of Labor and Training "to maintain employee purchasing power by increasing the current year's minimum wage buy the rate of inflation'' every year after that. Those words were stricken from the version that cleared the Senate Labor Committee on Wednesday.
The compromise bill now moves to the full Senate for a vote, and from there to the House.