Minimum wage used to be considered a federal issue, a fellow with Governing writes, but as a result of Congress’s stalling, several states and local governments are taking up the topic in local and regional legislation.

As the divided Congress stammers and stalls over almost every significant issue, cities are often forced to innovate and take matters into their own hands on topics formerly considered to be almost totally within the scope of federal responsibility. . . As all efforts to increase the basic national rate have been strenuously and (so far) successfully rebuffed, the responsibility has fallen to cities and states to try to make things more balanced and responsive to today’s realities.

For more information, see the full story from Governing and our recent posts, Massachusetts Raises Minimum Wage to Highest In Country, Governor Signs Minimum Wage Law, Senate Finance Committee Approves Move to $10.10 Minimum Wage, Montgomery County Council Approves Increase in Minimum Wage, MACo Members Collaborate on Minimum Wage Legislation.