Hundreds of people gathered outside the Ohio Statehouse on Thursday to support a proposed wage increase for workers who assist individuals with disabilities.
Representative Scott Lipps (R-Franklin) thinks workers who help people with disabilities deserve a raise. According to the non-profit group, Bridge2Equality, the average wage is $10.55 per hour.
Lipps says a wage increase to $13 per hour has been passed in the Ohio House's version of the new two-year state budget. He is confident the Ohio Senate, which is considering the budget now, will go along with wage increase.
“I think the Senate understands the importance of this to [the] quality of life for a lot of Ohioans and it’s an issue that hasn’t been addressed in a long time," Lipps says.
The budget must be passed by the full Ohio Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine by June 30.