California families can’t live on minimum wage, so new state Senator Steve Padilla is proposing a higher standard with his “living wage” bill
Despite the fact that California has one of the highest minimum wages in the country, a third of families in the Golden State are not earning enough to support their basic needs. Newly elected Senator Steve Padilla has introduced legislation for the state to calculate what a “living wage” should be, providing an official yardstick to determine future increases.
As the cost of living continues to outpace wage increases, Senate Bill 352 would compel the state legislature to create a formula to determine the necessary local minimum wage to afford one’s basic needs to live comfortable life in any part of the state, CalMatters reports.
“I introduced SB 352 to develop robust discussions about cyclical poverty and affordability in California,” Sen. Padilla (D-San Diego) told LAMag. “Far too many families earn far below the threshold they need to meet in order to afford the basic needs where they live. Right now, California has no scientific measure for how to set the minimum wage. We have relied on the incredible work of advocates to set a standard, but we cannot rely on the work of advocates alone.”
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