Rhode Island?s minimum wage just rose to $8.00 per hour on January 1, but labor unions are preparing to push for more. The president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO said that he believes that the minimum wage should be closer to $9.00 per hour for the state to remain competitive. Similar ballot initiatives are already in the works in nearby Massachusetts. Connecticut had passed a bill which increased its minimum wage to $8.70 on the first of this year and is set to increase again to $9.00 in one year. To encourage greater investment by start-ups, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce is looking to reduce or eliminate Rhode Island?s corporate, estate, and franchise taxes.
See "Labor to lobby for higher minimum wage in R.I.; Providence Chamber to call for tax changes", Philip Marcelo, The Providence Journal, January 2, 2014