BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – A New Orleans senator has scrapped his bid to raise Louisiana’s minimum wage, saying he doesn’t have the votes for passage.

It’s the fourth year of defeat for an effort backed by Gov. John Bel Edwards to boost the base pay for an estimated 200,000 workers.

The proposal by Democratic Sen. Troy Carter would have set Louisiana’s minimum wage at $9 per hour, up from the $7.25-per-hour federal level.

Supporters pointed to 29 other states that set a minimum wage higher than the federal rate, such as Arkansas, which passed an $11-an-hour minimum wage ballot initiative.

Public opinion polls show a minimum wage hike is popular, but business groups oppose the increase.

Carter told senators Tuesday he was shelving the bill because it lacked support.

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