New Hampshire Drops Its Minimum Wage Law

Overriding the Democratic governor's veto, Republicans in the state legislature have abolished the state's minimum wage, which was $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal rate. With no state wage law, New Hampshire is now subject to the federal minimum.

The House Republicans at the same time defeated a 75-cent increase in the (now-defunct) state minimum wage.

Republican State Representative Carol McGuire called the minimum wage "very discriminatory, particularly for young people." She voiced the opinion that more young people would be able to find jobs if business owners were able to set the wages without any mandated floor.

House Democratic leader Terie Norelli fretted that abolishing the state wage apparatus left New Hampshire at the mercy of Washington, D.C.: "Congress could lower the federal minimum wage, or eliminate it altogether with the idea that it should be a state issue, leaving New Hampshire workers with no protection."

New Hampshire thus joins five other states, all in the South, with no minimum wage laws.