States Act on Minimum Wage as Republicans Toss Obama Plan

President Barack Obama’s proposal to increase the U.S. minimum wage by 24 percent faces long odds in Congress, where Republicans took aim at it minutes after the State of the Union address. That might not matter: beyond Capitol Hill, some states took action long ago.

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia already require employers to pay more than the $7.25 an hour required by federal law, according to the U.S. Labor Department. At least eight more, including New York and New Jersey, are considering legislation to join them. On Jan. 1, Washington state, home to the highest minimum wage in the nation, raised its floor to $9.19, more than the $9 an hour proposed by Obama.