MASON, Mich — Michigan's minimum wage stands at $13.73 an hour for most employees — but at the federal level, that number is nearly cut in half.
WATCH BELOW: Living Wage for All Act would raise the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour
The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and it hasn't increased since 2009.
"The gas prices have gone up; grocery prices have gone up."
Now, four Democratic members of Congress have introduced the Living Wage for All Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour. Supporters say that is what people need to make ends meet.
Neighbors spoken to Monday said the change would be life changing.
"I think that when the cost of living goes up, the paycheck should go up."
But Debbie Shattuck, owner of Maple Street Mall, a small local business, has a different reaction.
"Twenty-five dollars for minimum wage is terrifying."
Shattuck said her business is fortunate enough to pay employees above minimum wage.
"We've got a staff that is incredibly amazing."
She said a rising minimum wage would most likely mean rising costs to stay in business.
If passed, the change would not happen right away. Under the proposal, large companies would have to pay the new wage by 2031, while smaller businesses would have until 2038 to make the change.
"We could not do that now, so I don't know what 2038 is going to bring, for our business, but there's no way we could do that now."
Shattuck said she will be watching closely to see what happens next.
"I will be very anxious to hear how this plays out."
The bill faces several rounds of committee voting before it can become law.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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