A Senate panel on Monday unanimously approved the Women’s Economic Security Act, which funds programs to lure more women into better-paying, male-dominated fields.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed legislation Thursday that will raise Connecticut’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2017.

Raising the minimum wage is as popular an idea as ever. It’s also a worse idea than ever.

DFL Rep. Tom Anzelc, Balsam Township, said Wednesday that he plans to introduce a constitutional amendment next session that would raise the state's minimum wage from $6.15 per hour to $10 per hour by 2015 and adjust the rate in the future according to inflation. Many state employers play the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

Back in August, under a pavilion at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in 95-degree heat, supporters of increasing the minimum wage in Minnesota kicked off what would soon become a very public campaign. Before then, talk of raising the wage was mostly confined to the halls of the state Capitol, where differing House and Senate bills were considered last session but failed to yield any agreement.

Gov. Mark Dayton, labor activists and House members made an appearance at the Minnesota State Fair on Tuesday to renew a push to raise the state's minimum wage from $6.25 per hour to $9.50 by 2015.

Democrats who control the Legislature saved some politicking and deal-making on Capitol restoration bonding and taxes for the final hours of the regular 2013 Legislative session

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, who earlier this week said a proposal to increase the state’s minimum wage was likely dead, now says there’s a “very good chance” something could get done on the issue yet this year.

The Senate passed legislation by a 39-28 vote on Wednesday that will increase the minimum wage to $7.75 an hour for large employers by 2015. All DFLers voted in favor of the measure, while all Republicans cast dissenting votes.

A bill that would bump the state minimum wage up to $9.50 an hour has cleared the floor of the Minnesota House.