CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch Thursday vetoed a bill doing away with the state's minimum wage law which instead tied it to the federal law.

In his veto message, Lynch said by repealing the state law, New Hampshire would be “effectively ceding state control and authority to the federal government.”

House Bill 133 passed both the House and Senate by more than enough votes to override the governor's veto.

Lynch said the bill would make New Hampshire one of only a handful of states completely deferring to the federal government and not establishing their own minimum wage.

“The minimum wage law ensures that our citizens receive at least a minimum level of compensation for their hard work. It also helps ensure a level playing field for business owners - the overwhelming majority of whom want to give their employees a decent day's wage for a day's hard work,” Lynch wrote in his veto message.

New Hampshire's current minimum wage is $7.25, the same as the federal minimum. The state raised the minimum wage several years ago for the first time in many years, bringing it in line with the federal standard.

“New Hampshire has had a minimum wage law since 1949, and neither our citizens nor our businesses have called for its repeal,” Lynch wrote. “There is no need to undermine our state's economic strategy or cede our state authority to the federal government.”