Minimum wage levels are expected to remain stagnant or decrease in the state of Iowa as a bill that would lower Iowa’s  minimum wage successfully made its way through the General Assembly and on to Gov. Terry Branstad’s desk.

Rep. Jake Highfill, R-Johnston, chair of the Local Government Committee, introduced House Study Bill 92, which would effectively bar businesses in the state from increasing the minimum wage past $7.25.

Anderson Ande, freshman in electrical engineering, said for students who already face mounting student debt, the bill signals GOP lawmakers’ disregard toward everyday costs.

“People should be afforded an actual, livable wage,” Ande said. “For me, I’m on a scholarship, so I don’t really rely on [minimum wage]. But just knowing people who are [at Iowa State] to pay off their debt, personally, I feel for them. I don’t see how they can afford to live off that type of pay.”

The bill came at a time when other city legislatures have already voted and passed ordinances that are set to increase their wages from the federal level. Although it will not affect Story County because the area’s minimum wage is currently $7.25, four counties in Iowa have voted to raise their minimum wage by 2019.

Believing that state legislatures were not concerned about the increasing cost of living, lawmakers in Wapello County passed an ordinance in 2016 to raise their minimum wage from $8.20 to $10.10 by 2019, while Linn and Polk counties have also passed mandates to increase their wages to $8.25 and $10.25, respectfully.

The minimum wage in Johnson County has already increased to $10.10, but if this bill were signed into law, the country would be forced to watch their wages dwindle back down to $7.25. Ultimately, the bill would have the ability to rescind control of minimum wage standards from local governments.

But proponents of the bill, like the Iowa Restaurant Association, see it as a silver lining for businesses that have to adhere to higher wages.

“Minimum wage increases negatively impact restaurant jobs and drive up consumer costs,” according to the Restaurant Association. “When labor costs rise, employers in labor-intensive industries such as ours are forced to raise prices to maintain profitability.”

Although the bill will arrive on Branstad’s desk, the newly-appointed ambassador to China has voiced support for an increase on minimum wage in the past. However, in a GOP-controlled House, it is likely the bill will be signed into law in the coming days.