New Jersey Governor Vetoes Minimum Wage Increase, Legislature Puts Issue on November Ballot

New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie has vetoed legislation passed by the New Jersey Senate and Assembly (S3/A2162) that would have raised the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $8.50 an hour and based future increases on the consumer price index (CPI). While issuing his conditional veto on January 28, 2013, Governor Christie proposed a $1-an-hour raise in the minimum wage that would be phased in with a 25-cent increase this year, a 50-cent increase in 2014, and another 25-cent increase in 2015. He also proposed a 25-percent increase to the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, which would be implemented fully in taxable year 2014. The Governor’s office stated that the EITC increase would provide a $550 benefit for struggling working families.