Senator proposes lowering minimum wage for some Nevadans

CARSON CITY — A state senator is trying for the second session in a row to repeal a component of the state minimum wage law in the Nevada Constitution.

State Sen. Joe Hardy, R-Boulder City, presented Senate Joint Resolution 2 to members of the Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections Thursday. It is the same resolution Hardy sponsored last session that never made it out of committee.

This year, however, is different because of the Affordable Care Act’s imminent start next year, Hardy said.

The resolution calls for the repeal of a constitutional law that requires employers who don’t provide health insurance to pay $1 more than the federal minimum wage. Voters adopted the increased wage law by wide margins in 2004 and 2006.

Under the Affordable Care Act, employers with more than 50 employees and not providing health insurance will be required to pay a $2,000 fine per employee after the first 30.

“It will allow the health insurance we are now covered by to take effect and prevent employers from a double penalty,” Hardy said of the resolution.

Representatives from the restaurant and retail industries and two chambers of commerce echoed support for the resolution.

Opponents said the resolution might be akin to the straw that broke the camel’s back for minimum wage earners.