LINCOLN- Last week, Karen Anthony, who has worked as a home health care provider for 40 years, testified at the Nebraska State Capitol during a hearing for a ballot initiative to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour.
At the hearing, Anthony said that her current wage doesn't allow her to afford everyday essentials like gas or groceries. Anthony, who supports the amendment, believes the change will help Nebraskans, but also said that it only "scratches the surface." "I don't want a raise just for me, even though I definitely deserve it," said Anthony, "I want a raise for everyone like me."
The ballot initiative, if passed, would raise the state's minimum wage incrementally over the next five years, until it eventually caps at $15 an hour.
Since 2014, 30 states have increased their minimum wages. If the new initiative passes, and no other states raise their wages by 2026, Nebraska will have one of the highest minimum wages in the country, tied with California and just below Washington, D.C.
Proponents and opponents of the wage hike disagree on the expected economic impact, with supporters saying it will be a boon while critics say the opposite.
Gov. Pete Ricketts opposes the initiative, stating that wages should be dictated by the market and not by the government. Laura Ebke, a former state lawmaker, agreed with Rickett's sentiment, arguing that a wage hike would negatively impact rural Nebraskans. "That's the demographic in Nebraska that gets hurt the most," said Ebke.
On the contrary, supporters of the initiative, including Open Sky Insitute policy director Joey Adler Ruane, believe that the wage increase will lift over 10,000 Nebraskans out of poverty. During the hearing, Ruane stated that "arguing that the minimum wage should only be raised after the current inflationary outbreak is far in the past is arguing that low-wage workers should have no serious protection against the damage to living standards being done."
Supporters also argue that raising the wage would encourage workers to put more money into the economy, and believe that Nebraskans will be more likely to spend money at their place of employment and surrounding businesses.
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