Behind the minimum wage increase effort is Obamacare.
To pay the increased taxes, a general wage increase is needed. An increase in the minimum wage provides the inertia to increase all wages across the board.
Wage inflation is absolutely required for Obamacare to be sustainable.
Socialists have never figured out that people are not static playthings that can be manipulated at will. Everyone changes their habits to move to the path of least pain.