A minimum wage bill that could cut the wages of Wisconsin home care providers passed that state's Senate last week. The bill, written to prevent cities and towns from having a minimum or living wage higher then the state, would also affect contracts and private workers paid through public funds. Robert Kraig, political director for SEIU 1199W says home care workers who currently make $8 or $9 an hour because of living wage laws, could see their pay cut.

[Kraig]: "It could be a huge pay cut for a lot of low income workers who do a vital public service. There is already a workforce crisis in that area and if you didn't require a living wage it could get substantially worse."

The Republican controlled state senate has been fighting attempts by the governor and state democrats to raise the state minimum wage from the federal standard of $5.15 per hour. In response some cities and counties in Wisconsin have begun passing their own increased wage ordinances. The bill now moves on to the House and then to Governor Jim Doyle who has pledged a veto unless the anti-living wage ordinance is removed.