Wis. Democrats vow final try to hike minimum wage

MADISON (AP) — Wisconsin Democratic leaders say they'll spend the last two days of the current legislative session trying to pass a bill that would increase the state minimum wage by nearly $3.

More than two dozen members from both chambers vowed Tuesday to pass a bill increasing the state-mandated wage of $7.25 an hour to $10.10.

Conservatives have leaned on a study that says a minimum wage hike would cost thousands of jobs. But Democrats say a majority of Wisconsinites supports a higher minimum wage. They say 587,000 Wisconsin workers would see a wage increase under the bill.

Legislation that would have eliminated the mandate for some local government workers and contractors steamrolled through the Assembly earlier this month before it was killed in the Senate.