Governor Tony Evers wants to raise state workers' minimum wage to $15

MADISON — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is proposing raising state employees' minimum wage to $15.

Evers' administration quietly released its 2019-21 state employee compensation plan Friday. It calls for raising all permanent state workers' minimum wage to $15 an hour beginning June 7, 2020. It also calls for a 2% across-the-board salary increase in each year of the biennium and raises for prison guards. Their starting wage would increase from $16.65 to $18.22 an hour.

According to Evers' administration, the entire package is expected to cost $84.15 million.

The plan is subject to legislative approval. The Legislature's finance committee has already authorized money to cover the 2% raises and the prison guard raises.