Raise the state minimum wage to $15.00 per hour.

 

The purpose of this bill is to set the state minimum wage to $15.00 per hour, going up each year on January 1st with a

2.5% increase or the increase in the consumer price index, whichever one is lower.

 

The purpose of this bill is to give the people of Minnesota an opportunity to live with a more livable Wage. This bill

would be important to ensure that everyone in Minnesota is being paid at least enough money to live a better life than

they can live now under the current wage of $11.13. In 2023, it was estimated by the Minnesota department of labor and

industry that 87,000 people, or 2.6% of salaried and hourly workers were paid at or below the state minimum wage. This

is far too low to be considered livable and is especially burdening to single parents who have to raise children under

extremely low pay conditions. According to the mn.gov cost of living index, the lowest livable wage in Minnesota on

average is $16.90 per hour for a single adult with 0 children. Even on the cheapest level of living, the minimum wage

still is not nearly as much as a livable one. This bill intends to make it significantly easier for people to survive on

minimum wage even if it is still not easily livable. Its overarching goal is to help reduce poverty and struggle in poor

communities in Minnesota.

 

Company: Any form of business organization that engages in a business or commercial activity for profit.

Minimum wage: the lowest wage permitted by law that a company can pay a full time employee.

Full-time employee: A person employed by a company that gives at least 30 hours per week of labor to the company.

 

No funding would be required for this bill, the employers would be the ones required to pay workers more.

 

The current wage theft penalties will stay in place for companies that do not comply.

 

January 1st, 2027