Kentucky senator files bill to gradually increase state's minimum wage

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A bill was introduced in the Kentucky Senate this week aimed at raising the state's minimum wage.

Senate Bill 32, filed again by Senator Reggie Thomas, D-Lexington, would gradually increase the minimum wage over a five-year period, eventually bringing the minimum wage up to $15 an hour by July 2028. The current minimum wage in Kentucky is $7.25 an hour.

"Kentucky's working families are struggling to keep up with the rising costs of basic necessities, while wages have remained stagnant," Thomas said in a news release Thursday. "Incremental minimum wage increases are crucial to ensure that hardworking Kentuckians can earn a livable wage and build a brighter future for themselves and their communities."

Other states like Arkansas and South Dakota have gradually increased minimum wage and have reported strong economies and low unemployment, according to a news release.

If the bill passes, individual cities would make their own minimum wage laws.