FRANKFORT, Ky. - Should Kentucky’s minimum wage be increased? A pair of Democratic lawmakers think so.

Senator Reggie Thomas, D-Lexington, and Representative Kathy Hinkle, D-Louisa, introduced legislation that would increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027. The legislation would do so by increasing the wage by a dollar each year, beginning with 2020. Bill sponsors say states surrounding Kentucky, including Illinois, Ohio and West Virginia, have increased their minimum wage above the federal wage.

“As Kentuckians, we have got to do the same thing,” Sen. Thomas said. “We want Kentuckians who want to work, who want to have that dignity of working and earning for themselves, and not live in poverty.”

Opponents of increasing the minimum wage say this hurts small businesses, Senator Thomas says any business that generates less than $500,000 in revenue annually will be exempt from the wage requirement but he disagrees with the idea that it hurts businesses. He pointed to an increase in Lexington’s minimum wage which didn't result in any jobs lost.

“That did not occur in Fayette County, and will not occur anywhere in this country,” Thomas said. This is the third year Sen. Thomas has introduced legislation to increase the minimum, the past two years the measure was not heard in the Republican-controlled legislature. Despite defeat in 2018 and 2019, Thomas says the time is now.

“I think the time is past due, I’ve pushed to have this bill heard in committee before, I’m not going stop,” Thomas said. “Just because you’ve had a first strike and a second strike doesn’t mean you stop swinging.”

Federally, the House of Representatives passed legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, however, it’s unlikely it will be heard in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.

“Kentucky still sits at one of the lowest in the country,” said Representative Hinkle. “I think it’s time for us to step up to the plate and take care of our citizens.”

Currently, Kentucky’s minimum wage is $7.25.