--- description: The hourly minimum wage for state workers in Kentucky is being raised from $7.25 to $10.10, Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear announced Monday. title: Kentucky Raises Minimum Wage for State Workers image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5ea98243d33123b0/6988537c5f570f4d55b1bde6/ap177101048396.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [States](/tag/states/) ## States Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Kentucky Raises Minimum Wage for State Workers, Urges Businesses To Do the Same by [Jacob Koffler](/author/jacob-koffler/) ## Jacob Koffler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 8, 2015 6:44 PM CUT  Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear addresses the audience at the 50th annual Kentucky Country Ham Breakfast in Louisville, Ky., on July 19, 2015 Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear addresses the audience at the 50th annual Kentucky Country Ham Breakfast in Louisville, Ky., on July 19, 2015Timothy D. Easley—AP by [Jacob Koffler](/author/jacob-koffler/) ## Jacob Koffler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 8, 2015 6:44 PM CUT The hourly minimum wage for state workers in Kentucky is being raised from $7.25 to $10.10, Gov. Steve Beshear announced Monday. The wage increase affects 510 state employees and will cost taxpayers $1.6 million. A third of the affected employees work in state nursing homes for military veterans, according to Beshear. Other wage changes include an increase of the hourly tipped minimum wage from $2.19 to $4.90\. The policy will go into effect July 1. Beshear took to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GovSteveBeshear "undefined") to rigorously defend the new policy. The increase for state employees sends a message to private business, says Beshear. Beshear joins Democrat House Speaker Greg Stumbo and many of his party’s state representatives in his fight for higher minimum wages for Kentuckians. Rep. Stumbo has been advocating for legislation raising the minimum wage for all workers in Kentucky in recent legislative sessions. The bill has passed the Democratic controlled House but is facing opposition in the Republican senate. The hike comes amid national calls for a minimum wage increase to $15 per hour. The movement has seen success in recent months, with $15 minimum wages having been established in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The issue is also gaining the attention of 2016 presidential hopefuls; Hillary Clinton [echoed wage activists](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/06/07/hillary-clinton-sounds-populist-note-at-fast-food-workers-convention/ "undefined") in a speech delivered at a convention of low-wage workers in Detroit on Sunday, stating that she supports a $15 minimum wage. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3913031/kentucky-minimum-wage-state-workers/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3913031/kentucky-minimum-wage-state-workers/"},"headline":"Kentucky Raises Minimum Wage for State Workers, Urges Businesses To Do the Same","datePublished":"2015-06-08T18:44:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T08:01:05.130Z","description":"The hike comes amid national calls for a minimum wage increase to $15 per hour","url":"https://time.com/3913031/kentucky-minimum-wage-state-workers/","keywords":["States","Minimum Wage","Kentucky"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5ea98243d33123b0/6988537c5f570f4d55b1bde6/ap177101048396.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jacob Koffler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/jacob-koffler/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5ea98243d33123b0/6988537c5f570f4d55b1bde6/ap177101048396.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Steve Beshear","caption":"Steve Beshear","creditText":"Timothy D. 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