Texas lawmakers push to more than double $7.25 minimum wage

Texas lawmakers are proposing to raise the state minimum wage — something they haven't done in 17 years. State Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, D-Richardson, filed House Bill 110, along with four other state representatives and a state senator, all Democrats, who filed similar bills to set the state

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What is the story about?

Texas lawmakers are proposing to raise the state minimum wage — something they haven't done in 17 years.

State Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, D-Richardson, filed House Bill 110, along with four other state representatives and a state senator, all Democrats, who filed similar bills to set the state minimum wage at $15 an hour.

This would more than double the state's current minimum wage — set at $7.25 an hour — which was approved in 2009, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. The bill also says the state's minimum wage could rise if the federal minimum wage exceeds $15.

If either bill, filed ahead of the Texas 90th Legislatureslated to start on Jan. 12, 2027, were to pass, it would take effect Sept. 1, 2027.

For someone working 40 hours a

week, the difference between the two rates would be about $310 more per week before taxes.

EAGLE PASS, TEXAS - JUNE 03: Employees take orders at The Wheel Wagon on June 03, 2026 in Eagle Pass, Texas. The Wheel Wagon has expressed concern and added strife over rising beef prices that began nearly one year ago. The small business has reported a near $3 increase per pound on brisket, leading to a $200 increase per box from the year prior.

What is a livable wage in Texas?

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage calculator says the following is a living wage — the hourly rate that an individual in a household must earn to support themselves and their family, working full-time — in Texas:

Single Adult with no kids: $21.77
Single Adult with one kid: $35.77
Two adults with one worker and no kids: $29.34
Two adults with one worker and one kid: $35.06
Two working adults with no kids: $14.67
Two working adults with one kid: $20.44

What is the poverty wage in Texas?

The MIT Living Wage calculator says the following are poverty wages — estimated from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Poverty Guidelines for 2026 and converted from an annual value to an hourly wage — in Texas:

Single Adult with no kids: $7.76
Single Adult with one kid: $10.40
Two adults with one worker and no kids: $10.40
Two adults with one worker and one kid: $13.13
Two working adults with no kids: $5.20
Two working adults with one kid: $6.57

Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas lawmakers push to more than double $7.25 minimum wage