New Jersey's state Senate has passed a bill to hike the state's minimum wage now and tie automatic yearly adjustments to the Consumer Price Index.
The Senate approved the measure Thursday by a party-line 23-16 vote.
The bill would raise the minimum wage by $1.25 to $8.50 per hour.
The bill could be headed for a veto by Republican Gov. Chris Christie.
The Democrat-led Senate is prepared for a veto and also passed a measure to put the automatic yearly adjustments on the ballot as a constitutional amendment.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
