9 months ago
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(NewsNation) — The national minimum wage hasn't changed since 2009, but voters successful respective states volition person the accidental to rise hourly wages astatine the authorities level successful November.
Voters successful Alaska, California and Missouri volition determine whether to summation their state's minimum wage.
If past is immoderate indicator, those efforts are apt to beryllium successful. From 1996 to 2022, voters approved 26 of the 28 minimum wage summation measures connected the ballot, according to Ballotopedia.
Meanwhile, ballot measures successful Massachusetts and Arizona would impact wages for tipped workers. In Arizona, the inaugural would let employers to wage tipped workers less, whereas successful Massachusetts, tipped workers would spot their hourly minimum wage emergence from $6.75 an hr to $15 an hr implicit 5 years.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris person besides weighed successful connected tipped wages, some promising to end national taxes connected tips.
Minimum wage by the numbers
- The national minimum wage is $7.25 per hour and has not changed since 2009.
- Currently, 34 states, territories and districts person minimum wages supra the federal minimum wage, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
- The mean authorities minimum wage successful 2024 is $10.69, up from $9.85 successful 2022, according to Ballotpedia
Here's what to cognize astir the minimum wage ballot questions successful Alaska, Arizona, California, Massachusetts and Missouri.
Alaska
Current minimum wage: $11.73/hour (as of Jan. 1, 2024)
- Adjusted annually for inflation
On the November ballot: Ballot Measure 1
What would it do?
- Increase the state's minimum wage to $15 an hr by July 1, 2027
- After that, the complaint would beryllium adjusted each twelvemonth for inflation
- It would besides necessitate employers to supply paid sick leave
- Up to 56 hours per twelvemonth for employers with 15 employees oregon more
- Up to 40 hours per twelvemonth for employers with less than 15 employees
- Protect employees who garbage to be employer-sponsored meetings regarding spiritual oregon governmental matters
What happened past time?
In 2014, Alaska voters passed a ballot inaugural to summation the minimum wage and set it each twelvemonth for inflation. The measurement passed with nearly 70% of the vote.
California
Current minimum wage: $16/hour (as of Jan. 1, 2024)
- Adjusted annually for inflation
- Roughly 40 cities person higher section minimum wages
- Most fast-food workers marque astatine slightest $20 an hr as of April
On the November ballot: Proposition 32
What would it do?
- Raise the minimum wage to $18 an hr for each employees by 2026
- The minimum wage would spell up with ostentation each twelvemonth starting successful 2027
- If approved, California would person the highest authorities minimum wage successful the country
What happened past time?
In 2016, the California legislature passed Senate Bill 3, which gradually raised the state's minimum wage to $15 an hr by 2022.
Missouri
Current minimum wage: $12.30/hour (as of Jan. 1, 2024)
- Adjusted annually for inflation
- Tipped employees: At slightest 50% of the wide minimum wage ($6.15/hour), positive immoderate magnitude indispensable to bring their full wage to $12.30 an hour
On the November ballot: Proposition A
What would it do?
- Increase the wide minimum wage each twelvemonth to $15 per hr by 2026
- This would besides rise the tipped minimum wage arsenic the aforesaid 50% regularisation applies
- Adjust minimum wage based connected ostentation each January starting successful 2027
- Require employers to supply 1 hr of paid sick permission for each 30 hours worked
- Government and acquisition employers would beryllium exempt
What happened past time?
- In 2018, Missouri voters approved Proposition B, which accrued the state's minimum wage to $12 by 2023. Voters approved the inaugural with 62% of the tally.
Ballot measures for tipped minimum wage
Voters successful 2 states volition determine whether to alteration minimum wage rules specifically for tipped workers.
Arizona
Current minimum wage: $14.35/hour (as of Jan. 1, 2024)
- Adjusted annually for inflation
- Tipped employees: Cannot beryllium paid much than $3 little than the minimum wage ($11.35/hour)
On the November ballot: Proposition 138
What would it do?
- Allow employers to wage tipped employees up to 25% little than the minimum wage
- This applies lone if the leader tin beryllium the worker yet received the minimum wage positive $2 for each hr worked.
- If enacted, the offset for tipped workers would summation from $3.00 to $3.69 successful 2025, according to the Common Sense Institute
What happened past time?
- In 2016, Arizona voters approved Proposition 206, which raised the minimum wage to $10 successful 2017, and past gradually to $12 by 2020. The initiative passed with 58% of the vote.
Massachusetts
Current minimum wage: $15/hour (as of Jan. 1, 2023)
- Does not alteration based connected inflation
- Tipped employees: $6.75/hour
Ballot question: Question 5
What would it do?
- Gradually summation the tipped minimum wage to lucifer the wide minimum wage by Jan. 1, 2029
- Employers would beryllium required to wage tipped workers the quality betwixt the authorities minimum wage and the full magnitude a tipped idiosyncratic receives successful hourly wages positive tips
- That goes distant Jan. 1, 2029
- Employers who wage the authorities minimum wage could make a "tip pool" and disagreement customers' tips among each the workers, adjacent non-tipped employees
What happened past time?
- State lawmakers passed a bill successful 2018 to rise the minimum wage from $11 an hr to $15 an hr by 2023.
