Minimum Wage Boosts on the Ballot in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota
Author: Michael Cardman, XpertHR Legal Editor
UPDATE: The ballot initiatives passed in Alaska; Arkansas; Nebraska; South Dakota; San Francisco, California; and Oakland, California. The ballot initiative in Eureka, California, was defeated.
October 27, 2014
Initiatives to raise the minimum wage will appear on the ballot November 4 in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota, as well as three cities in California: San Francisco, Oakland and Eureka.
Polls show that a majority of voters support the initiatives, but these polls vary in their reputability, sample size and recency.
If the measures pass, the minimum wages would increase as follows:
| Jurisdiction | Current | 20151 | 20161 | 20171 | 20181 | 20191 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $7.75 | $8.75 | $9.75 | Adjusted for inflation | Adjusted for inflation | Adjusted for inflation (and every Jan. 1 thereafter) |
| Arkansas | $6.25 | $7.50 | $8.00 | $8.50 | N/A | N/A |
| Nebraska | $7.25 | $8.00 | $9.00 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| South Dakota | $7.25 | $8.50 | Adjusted for inflation | Adjusted for inflation | Adjusted for inflation | Adjusted for inflation (and every Jan. 1 thereafter) |
| San Francisco | $10.74 | $12.25 (May 1) | $13.00 (July 1) | $14.00 (July 1) | $15.00 (July 1) | Adjusted for inflation (and every July 1 thereafter) |
| Oakland | N/A | $12.25 (March 2) | Adjusted for inflation | Adjusted for inflation | Adjusted for inflation | Adjusted for inflation (and every Jan. 1 thereafter) |
| Eureka | N/A | $12.00 (Feb. 2) | Adjusted for inflation | Adjusted for inflation | Adjusted for inflation | Adjusted for inflation (and every Jan. 1 thereafter) |
1All increases take effect January 1 unless otherwise noted. |
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In addition, there are "advisory questions" on the ballot in Illinois and in several localities in Wisconsin. Although these measures are not binding, they will gauge public support for minimum wage increases in those states and could thereby influence legislators.
Efforts to place minimum wage initiatives on ballot this year in Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and Washington failed, either because supporters did not gather enough signatures or because the state legislature did not approve the measures.