Minimum Wage Increase Passes Senate

The Senate version of the minimum wage increase which includes a five year extension of the WOTC passed this afternoon by a 94-3 margin. It seems that Senate Majority Leader Reid's tune has changed slightly as compared to my earlier post:

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the tax breaks are necessary to overcome a potential GOP filibuster.

"Of course, Democrats would prefer to pass a clean increase in the minimum wage," said the spokesman, Jim Manley. "The fact is that Republicans have made it very clear that the only way we will pass a modest increase in the minimum wage is with tax breaks for small business."