Senate Democrats are already setting their sights on raising the minimum wage.

Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker (D-Weston) says legislation to raise the minimum wage will be the first bill introduced when the Legislature returns in January. Wisconsin's minimum wage is currently at $6.50 an hour. Decker wants to increase it to $7.60 an hour and then index it for inflation.

The business community has opposed similar proposals in past sessions. Decker says they'll just have to "work with it" because Wisconsin needs to have standards. He says opposition has existed since the minimum wage was put into place nearly 90 years ago.

Decker says he does not yet have support from the new Democratic majority in the Assembly, but expects them to help push the measure through.

Wisconsin is one of only seven states with a minimum wage lower than the federal wage of $6.55 an hour. 

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:02)

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