New Mexico House OKs minimum wage hike to $9.25

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico House or Representatives has endorsed a proposal to increase the statewide minimum wage to $9.25 an hour from $7.50. The House endorsed the increase on Friday, days after the Senate voted to raise the base wage to $9. The Legislature has until the end of the session on March 18 to come up with a compromise. Any increase would be felt most acutely in rural, low-income areas. The state's three largest urban areas — Santa Fe, Las Cruces and Albuquerque — already have local minimums. The highest is $11.09 in Santa Fe. Republican House members proposed an $8.45 minimum in an amendment Friday that was rebuffed by Democrats. Neither bill includes future cost-of-living increases. Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has indicated she may support a limited increase.