Thirteen years after the federal government last raised the federal minimum wage, a ballot initiative in Nebraska aims to raise Nebraska’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026.
Petition organizers submitted nearly double the required number of signatures earlier this month to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office. The petition proposes gradually raising the minimum wage each year.
“I think Nebraska's graduated scale is fairly conservative and will be easy to hit,” said Mike Draper, who owns Raygun, a clothing and design store in Omaha. “And it's adequate for businesses to plan for.”
Raygun, one of many Nebraska businesses who’ve announced support for the petition, has expanded to seven locations across the Midwest since opening in 2005.
“The business is about as old as the last time we raised the federal minimum wage,” Draper said.
Some opponents argue raising the minimum wage would force business owners to raise their prices amid record inflation.
"The Nebraska Hospitality Association does not see the minimum wage ballot initiative as a necessary issue for our industry," said Zoe Olson, the executive director of the trade organization.
Olson said many managers in the hospitality industry already pay well above the minimum wage, especially in this competitive employment market. She said the starting wages will only increase from there.
Even though her organization may not support the hike in wages, she said they'll respect the voice of Nebraska...
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