Governor Murphy signed a bill on Feb. 4 to raise New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by the year 2024. In this episode, we talk with John Reitmeyer who, in his role as budget and public policy reporter for NJ Spotlight, has covered the topic extensively. Hear what John has to say about the pro and con arguments for the minimum wage bill; whether businesses might cut jobs, hours and benefits as they try to absorb the higher wage rate; the possible implications to consumers in the form of higher prices for products and services; and some of the exemptions, or carve-outs, that did and didn’t make it into the final bill.

In other news: Accountancy Act bill signed into law | A bill opposed by NJCPA that would ban all arbitration employment agreements has been passed by the New Jersey Legislature | Updates to the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy regulations are open for comments through March 8 | Legislation to remove the SALT deduction cap and restore the 39.6 percent tax bracket was unveiled on Feb. 11