Early Wednesday, House Rep. Jake Highfill proposed legislation that would keep local governments from overstepping on labor issues.

Titled House Study Bill 92, the bill would refuse local governments the ability to set their own minimum wage standards and remove recent increases. 

HSB 92 is currently in a subcommittee of the House Local Government Committee but has not progressed any further.

In four counties across Iowa, the minimum wage is higher than the state and national minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. 

Polk County’s is set be raised to $10.75 per hour by 2019 and will be the highest minimum wage in Iowa.

This is under the presumption that the recently proposed bill to remove all local minimum wage increases does not pass.

Highfill said that it was not his intent to take control away from local governments.

If enacted, minimum wage increases in Johnson, Linn, Polk and Wapello counties would be removed immediately and the minimum wage would return to $7.25.

The bill would also apply to any cities in Iowa that have raised their minimum wage above the state’s.