26 U.S. states will unveil their latest compliance with federal minimum wage increases this week. Including the District of Columbia, the minimum wage will increase from $5.85 per hour to $6.55 per hour (at the least). This will only affect states with a minimum wage set from the federal standard, of course.

This move could not have come at a better time. Although oil prices see-sawed a little last week -- bringing the cost of gas down a dime or two for the time being -- consumers are still grappling with high gas prices, a slumping stock market, energy price increases and commodity costs that are affecting food staples. If you regularly feed a family of four with two adults making minimum wages, you know all about these price increases. But, so do all of us.

Small business owners may see this differently, though. Those places of business are also seeing costs and overhead go up, and now labor costs may take a sharp increase as well. What will some businesses do? Pass along those increased labor costs to customers as a price increase due to "economic conditions."

About a year from now there will be another minimum wage increase, will will send the minimum up another $0.70 to $7.25 per hour. Do you think the economy in the U.S. will have dug out of its small hole by then? And yes, it's a small hole even though financial companies with previously-idiotic holdings in mortgages may not agree.

As expected, the U.S. Congress has become the proverbial hot potato since the Democrats took control of both houses of Congress in January -- seeing as there is a pretty staunch Republican presidential administration in the White House at the moment. Yes, fire-tipped spears have already been launched from both sides, even as "we will work together" PR statements are made.

What about a hot button business issue like the federally-mandated minimum wage? Well, in an odd scenario rarely seen, Democrats themselves are appearing to be the barrier for the passage of new minimum-wage laws.

A minimum wage package that includes an $8.3 billion package of tax incentives designed to give small businesses a boost for raising the minimum wage is at stake here -- but many Democrats want a federal minimum wage without all kinds of stipulations attached. That may happen, but in the age of special interests, it's going to be a hard battle to be won if any group wants special treatment by newer federal minimum wage laws.