On Election Day, Nebraska voters will decide whether the state’s $9 per hour minimum wage should gradually be bumped to $15 or remain the same.
The minimum wage hike – Initiative 433 – is one of two on the ballot this year. Voters will also determine the fate of voter identification for future elections.
If Initiative 433 passes, Nebraskans would see starting wages increase from $9 per hour to:
After that, minimum wage would have a yearly cost of living adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index.
A vote “for” the initiative will amend the state statute and gradually raise the minimum wage. A vote “against” would signal opposition to the change. The initiatives are decided on popular vote, meaning whichever side has more votes will determine state law.
This is not the first time voters have taken up the issue. In 2014, Nebraska voters raised the minimum to $9 from $7.25, which took effect in 2016.
A poll released last month by Neilan Strategy group, a Republican consulting firm, said 55% of 1,340 respondents supported the raise, while 34% opposed it. The voter ID initiative also showed favorable support.
According to Ballotpedia, the last time a minimum wage increase initiative failed in the U.S. was 1996, when Missouri and Montana voters both killed efforts. Since then, 22 initiatives and one referral have passed across the country.
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