- Video shows lawmakers debating LB258
- Despite being passed by voters in 2022 lawmakers are considering slowing down Nebraska's increase in minimum wage and allow sub-minimum wage for younger employees.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Back in December we caught up with Soley Joe, a Raygun employee who has spent most of her working life earning near the minimum wage.
“Now im kind of out of school, trying to figure out what to do with my life and discovering the world is kind of expensive,” said Joe.
Right now in Nebraska the minimum wage is $13.50 an hour and is expected to grow to $15 by 2027.
Then it will increase yearly based on the consumer price index.
It’s what the voters wanted but some lawmakers are having second thoughts.
“Should these restrictions go in place, should it be passed, who is it going to hurt the most?”
“It’s working Nebraskans who are paid a low wage. It’s the hundreds of thousands of our neighbors who are working hard and struggling to pay rent and buy groceries in the same month,” said Ken Smith with Nebraska Appleseed.
Lincoln Senator Jane Raybould’s bill LB258 would make significant changes to how Nebraska handles minimum wage.
It would cut the out the CPI increases limiting it to 1.5% every five years and establish a sub-minimum wage for 14 and 15 year old employees along with allowing sub minimum wage for employees during a training period.
Raybould, who is the owner of the Super Saver brand of grocery stores, says it’s a necessary step to protect businesses like hers.
She argued if businesses have to pay more for labor they will need to balance it by cutting jobs or hours.
“In some cases it would mean that workers make more per hour but less per week,” said Raybould.
For advocates like Smith the issue runs deeper than just keeping wages low.
Like similar efforts with paid sick leave and medical cannabis, it’s another instance of lawmakers trying to overrule Nebraska voters.
“It is an affront to direct democracy. It’s clearly in defiance of the will of the voters and I think anybody should be frustrated,” said Smith.
