California's minium wage would go up by $1 under a bill making its way through the Legislature but will probably face a veto by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger if it reaches his desk.

The Assembly, on a 45-29 vote, approved a bill that would increase the wage from $6.75 an hour to $7.25 an hour starting in January and to $7.75 an hour starting in January 2006.

The state's minium wage is the lowest on the West Coast, according to a legislative analysis of the bill by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View. The state of Washington, which has indexed its wage to economic indicators, has an hourly rate of $7.16 an hour. Oregon's minium wage is $7.05 an hour.

"You try to live on $6.75 an hour, even $7 or $8 an hour," said one of the bill's supporters, Assemblyman Manny Diaz, D-San Jose. "In my (district) nobody can live on anything less than $15 an hour. That's why many wage earners have two jobs."

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