Whitmer: Spend $300M of virus aid to hike hourly wage to $15

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proposed spending $300 million in federal COVID-19 funding to help businesses pay workers $15 an hour. State grants would cover the difference between an employee's current hourly wage and $15 for three months, as long as the business commits to continuing the $15 wage for at least three additional months. The Democratic governor's office isn't immediately saying how many people would see bigger paychecks under the program, which would need approval from the Republican-controlled Legislature. Negotiations over allocating billions in coronavirus aid are ongoing. Employers have been unable to add as many workers as they need.