Millions of low-wage workers have not seen a raise in the federal minimum wage since Sept. 1, 1997, when Congress raised it to $5.15 an hour. Over the past four years, the Bush administration and Republican leaders repeatedly have blocked congressional attempts to raise the federal minimum wage. On March 7, 2005, a bill to boost the wage to $7.25 an hour over two years was defeated in the U.S. Senate. In October 2005, Senate Republican leaders orchestrated the defeat of a compromise measure that would have raised the federal minimum wage to $6.25 an hour.

But Bush’s wage roadblock hasn’t stopped working family activists in Maryland, New Jersey and more than two dozen other states from mobilizing to win state minimum wage increases. Nearly 30 states and the District of Columbia either have set their state minimum wage above the $5.15 federal level or are considering legislation and ballot initiatives to do so.

In 2006, at least nine states are expected to include referendums on the November ballot that would boost their minimum wages. In addition, 16 states and the District of Columbia have set minimum wage rates above the federal floor.  

Check out the minimum wage rates in each state.

Learn more about the federal minimum wage.