PA House approves $15 minimum wage, Maine requires Medicaid to cover gender-affirming care

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2026, with all but one Democrat voting for it and two Republicans joining them. The bill has an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Senate. Pennsylvania's minimum wage is currently set at the federal minimum of $7.25, and the measure would gradually increase it to $15 by changing from $7.25 to $11 in its first year, then to $13 in 2025 and finally to $15 in 2026. The bill ties future increases to inflation, which sponsors say mirrors action taken by 15 other states.