Sen. Katrina Shealy aims to see that disabled workers are paid fairly.
Her joint resolution would end sub-minimum wages for people with disabilities.
The Lexington County Republican partnered with the disability non-profit  Able South Carolina advocacy group.
If her bill passes, a task force would create a 3-year plan to phase out sub-minimum pay by August 1, 2024. 
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 allows  employers to pay people with disabilities less than the minimum wage – sometimes pennies an hour.  
In SC, about 1,200 people with disabilities make less than the minimum wage. 
“No one in our state should be paid less than the minimum wage,” she said.
Kimberly Tissot of Able South Carolina, said the bill would not immediately put anyone out of a job. 
Rather, it would create a plan for helping those receiving sub-minimum pay.
“Our society has changed and people with disabilities have adapted,” Tissot said. 
"We can work as well as anyone else, and we deserve to be paid equally for it.”
We welcome your comments. Please email JerryBellune@yahoo.com