Advertisement Sununu, citing ‘booming’ state economy, vetoes bill to hike hourly minimum wage to $10-$12 Governor says wage boost would ‘lead to lost jobs, cut hours, less money in pockets’

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New Hampshire is likely to remain among only a handful of states with no minimum wage and default to the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour after Gov. Chris Sununu, citing the state’s “booming” economy, on Friday vetoed a bill that would have boosted the wage twice over the next two and a half years.Senate Bill 10 called for a boost in the state’s minimum wage to $10 an hour on Jan. 1, 2020 and then to $12 an hour beginning on Jan. 1, 2022.But Sununu, in his veto message, wrote, “I will not be the governor that signs a bill that will lead to lost jobs, cut hours and less money in the pockets of hard working Granite Staters. There is nothing positive about reducing a worker’s chances of getting a job.“New Hampshire’s economy is booming, and I will do everything in my power to ensure we continue that trend, not hinder it.”View Sununu’s Senate Bill 10 veto message here.The bill was passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature mostly along party lines. The House’s final passage came on a vote of 207-143, while the Senate passed it, 14-10.The Legislature will most likely meet in September to take up Sununu’s vetoes of this bill and other bills. Two-thirds majorities are necessary in both the House and Senate to override vetoes. Barring a drastic change of view by a significant number of Sununu’s fellow Republicans, the veto will stand.State Senate President Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, a longtime top supporter of increasing the state's minimum wage, said, “While it is disappointing that Gov. Sununu vetoed legislation to re-establish and raise New Hampshire’s minimum wage, I remain committed to this fight and extend my sincere gratitude to the advocates and lawmakers pushing to raise the wage."New Hampshire values work. It's far past time for us to guarantee that hardworking Granite Staters earn enough to support themselves and their families.”But House Republican Leader Richard Hinch of Londonderry sided with Sununu."Our state’s small business community can breathe a sigh of relief today thanks to the Governor’s veto of this ill-conceived bill," Hinch said. "The negative impact of a government mandated wage hike is demonstrably clear. Employees would have been hurt by having their jobs cut or hours significantly reduced and employers prevented from hiring new employees or expanding their business. It’s a no-win situation.”“This type of public policy runs contrary to all of the work done by Republicans in recent years to bolster our economy. I trust business owners to make appropriate wage decisions for their market conditions and company need without government mandates or interference,” said Hinch. New Hampshire is among six states in the country with no minimum wage and follow the federal wage. An additional 13 states have set their minimum wages at the same $7.25-an-hour level.Related video: Gov. Sununu also vetoed three gun-related bills: