Could wages be on the rise in RI

Good morning, I'm Will Richmond at The Providence Journal and this is the Daily Briefing.

The debate over wages has reached the General Assembly with multiple bills being heard that could affect the pay rates for a number of Rhode Islanders.

The one that most people may connect with involves tipped workers.

Currently paid at a rate of $3.89 an hour the rate would rise to $15 an hour under the bill. The proposal brought out many voices against the measure, including at least one restauranteur who said the increase would cost him into the millions.

Also on the docket is a bill to increase the state's minimum wage to $20.

How did legislators feel about these bills and what are the arguments for and against them? The Journal's Wheeler Cowperthwaite has the details.

• Over the years Journal columnist Mark Patinkin has told the story of Gisela Carrier and her family. Gisela was diagnosed with leukemia at age 8, overcame it, relapsed at 10 and finally was free of it again at 13. Just before she was about to turn 17, Gisela was killed while she sat in traffic with her mother and brother, when a man driving distracted slammed into their car.

That man was sentenced recently and Mark was in the courtroom to capture the final chapter in Gisela's story. When he was let off with probation, Gisela's family felt justice wasn't served.

• Amid the turmoil of being fined for trucking in contaminated soil used in the 6/10 and their potential involvement in the Washington Bridge closure, The Journal's Katherine Gregg and Patrick Anderson report "Barletta Heavy Division has gone to court in an attempt to restore its reputation – and prove it was the victim of industrial espionage by a union with ties to its erstwhile rival in the construction industry, the now defunct Cardi Corp."

• Could it be true? A weekend without rain? You may wait to see it to believe it, but you could also plan on going for a hike and Journal contributor John Kostrzewa offers up one where you can find up to 200 species of migratory birds in this week's Hiking RI column.

• The NCAA regionals will take the ice Friday and Sunday, and The Journal's Bill Koch has the info on plenty of downtown spots worth a try during your Providence visit.

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RHODY RANKS

Every day we receive emails ranking Rhode Island. While the work behind the ranks may be dubious, they can be fun. Each day I'll share where Rhody Ranks from one of the latest emails.

According to a new study, Rhode Island has been named the 10th most expensive state to visit a pediatrician.

Birth Injury Lawyers Group investigated which are the most and least expensive states to visit a pediatrician, by calculating the average maximum Medicare cost for a new patient, based on data from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

TODAY'S WEATHER

Windy; periods of rain in the morning, then sun and areas of high clouds in the afternoon. Highs in the low 50s.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Could wages be on the rise in RI