Kansas plan keeping low wages for disabled angers advocates

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators are considering a proposal that many disability rights advocates say could help employers who pay disabled workers less than the minimum wage, bucking a national trend. A Kansas House bill would expand a state income tax credit for goods and services purchased from vendors employing disabled workers so the vendors could have some workers who don’t get the minimum wage. The debate over the Kansas measure comes as employers nationally have been moving toward paying at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. More than a dozen states have banned below-minimum-wage jobs for disabled workers and a bipartisan proposal to do so is before Congress.