Momentum is building for a higher minimum wage. Already, 14 localities in California have passed local ordinances that call for a higher wage than the state minimum, with more local ordinances on the way. The state wage is set to go to $10 per hour on Jan. 1, but there is a strong political push — both in the Legislature and among ballot initiative proponents — to set that wage as high as $15 by the end of the decade.
Earlier this month, Gov. Jerry Brown’s top aide, Nancy McFadden, when asked about the administration’s on-the-record opposition to efforts to raise the minimum wage, pointed out that a $15 minimum wage comes with a multi-billion price tag for state government.
That’s because the state employs thousands of minimum wage workers. Many of these workers provide in-home support services. In short, they are low-wage workers providing essential services for families that are often struggling themselves economically. To offer the same level of service, the state would be on the hook for billions more to provide these and other needed services.
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