Although some disagreement on monetary amount is sure to ensue, it was encouraging to see this week that the state’s Senate majority leader appeared open to having a discussion on raising the state’s minimum wage. This is long overdue.

Pennsylvania remains one of 20 states that still pays the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, a pittance that is far from a living wage.

It has been a decade since the minimum wage has risen — from a measly $6.55 per hour to the current $7.25 — and tipped workers are still paid a ridiculous $2.13 per hour.

According to reporting by fact-checking website PolitiFact and numbers based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator, the current minimum wage would be more than $11 if the minimum wage had kept pace with inflation.

In other words, people who rely on minimum wage jobs are likely struggling to keep up with the cost of living, which has far outpaced what they are being paid.

Recently, Gov. Tom Wolf introduced a $15 per hour minimum wage bill that would raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour as of July 1. It would then increase by 50 cents per year until it reaches $15 per hour by 2025.

The bill would need to be passed in the Republican-controlled legislature. Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman has said that he believes $15 per hour is “unreasonable,” but he appeared open to a discussion on raising the minimum wage. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, on the other hand, supports legislation recently introduced that would increase the federal minimum wage amount to $15 per hour.

This is a good start.

While some might argue that Pennsylvania’s cost of living does not justify raising the minimum wage to match that of such states as New York or California, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ figures indicate that minimum wage workers are making approximately $4 less per hour than inflation should dictate.

In 2020, a total of 20 states are increasing their minimum wage through a mixture of laws passed in state legislatures, ballot measures and, in some cases, a result of automatic adjustments for inflation.

Pennsylvania should follow suit.

It has been argued that raising the federal minimum wage could increase pay for more than 25 percent of the U.S. work force, that the extra earnings could make a significant impact on those living paycheck to paycheck and help to stimulate the economy since workers earning lower wages must often spend much of that money on necessities.

While it is understandable that the governor and legislature might not agree at this time on the amount of an increase, it is important that they negotiate in good faith to find a way to raise the minimum wage. Pennsylvania workers deserve no less.