A measure that excludes youth under the age of 18 from the minimum wage standard is making its way through the legislature. In 2014 South Dakota voters passed an initiated measure setting the state’s minimum wage at $8.50 per hour. Senate Bill 177 would allow businesses to pay younger employees a wage below this minimum. Shawn Lyons is with the South Dakota Retailers Association. He says workers under 18 cannot fulfill the same responsibilities as adults because there are restrictions on duties and hours children and young adults can work. Lyons says the new minimum wage will hurt young workers because businesses will not be able to hire them.
"Senate Bill 177 not only helps small businesses that provide the jobs but it also helps give our youth a fighting chance to get real world experience we all know that they need," says Lyons.
Members of the Senate Commerce and Energy committee passed the measure by a vote of 5 to 1. It now moves to the Senate floor.