Majority of Minnesotans Support Minimum Wage Hike

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota residents overwhelmingly want to see the state's minimum wage go up yet not as high as some lawmakers have proposed.

Data released Wednesday from the Star Tribune's Minnesota Poll showed that 79 percent of respondents favor an increase of some size. There's a split between the 42 percent who want to see it climb to $9.50 and 37 percent who would support a more-measured increase.

The state has a current minimum wage of $6.15, one of the lowest in the country. Just 16 percent of the 800 adults polled last week say the rate shouldn't budge. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

The minimum wage will be a spotlight issue in the Legislature's session that starts next week.