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California to adopt $15 minimum wage

March 29, 2016

moneyGov. Jerry Brown announced Monday that California lawmakers have struck a deal to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022. Yearly minimum wage hikes will begin in 2017. [CBS News]

California currently has a $10 minimum wage. It is tied with Massachusetts for the highest statewide minimum wage in the country.

Though California’s minimum wage just increased in January, lawmakers came under pressure to raise it again after a union-sponsored initiative recently qualified for the Nov. 8 ballot. The initiative called for raising the minimum wage to $15 at a more rapid pace than the deal Brown announced Monday. Polls showed California voters would approve the ballot measure.

Under the new agreement, small businesses that have fewer than 26 employees will get an additional year to phase in the increases. California lawmakers still have to formally approve the deal.

More than 6.5 million Californians, or 43 percent of the workforce, currently make less than $15 an hour.

“There is a principle called the living family wage — you can’t expect someone to work if the wages for that work can’t support a family,” Brown said.

However, the governor added that a $15 an hour wage could not support a family.

The California Chamber of Commerce has argued against proposed minimum wage increases, saying they will require small businesses to pay more while making less. The Chamber of Commerce said the $15 minimum wage proposal would hurt the employees it is intended to help.

The cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco have already approved $15 minimum wage laws. San Francisco’s minimum wage is due to increase to $15 by 2018, and Los Angeles’ minimum wage will rise to $15 by 2020.


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“The governor added that a $15 an hour wage could not support a family”


And because of the Governors economic policy and practices all that is left in California are $15 per hour jobs. The state has to do this to keep the lights on. This will not help anyone at all in fact it will hurt. It will harm the people at the bottom once again.


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So now $15 per hour will become the new bottom, except that the poor people who make the 15 will have to pay more for everything. The minimum wage effect the cheapest section of our economy the most. Plus these minimum wage people will now have to pay more taxes and here’s the big one, they are going to lose a portion of their health insurance subsidies. In the end they will be worse off. But everyone who works at the government will get a big raise because the price of a big mac just went up by 50%.


If our government truly wanted to help these downtrodden people what they should do is cut all government budgets by 30%, starting with all government employees who make more than 150k and take the savings to educate the people who our politically correct education system has completely failed to educate and then use the rest of the money to help the poor start their own businesses.


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Nice job exposing the hidden tax agenda of the $15 minimum wage. Loss of entry level jobs, price increases will certainly follow. That train is never late. Keep convincing the working poor to buy more lottery tickets. That will help them as well.


I am always surprised at the attention paid to minimum wage. It’s a starting point. The bottom rung of the ladder, and its up to the individual to raise themselves and climb the ladder.


We have all worked for minimum wage (me at $3.35 per hour back in the day). Most of us figure out how to leave it behind within a very short time by becoming more valuable in the workplace.


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Already sounding a lot like Europe ……$20 for a of cup of coffee and muffin.


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I see you’ve been to Starbucks


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Guaranteed job killer. Employers who can leave, will.


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If all you make is min wage you have no business having kids.. just sayin!


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Maybe the State can re-evaluate what is paid to our public servants. Maybe a 15 plus 10 can be paid to our top State jobs?


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What this means is that people who are in service industries on minimum wage who are being tipped better expect their tips to shrink. Paying higher prices for food and beverages served will cut down on people’s ability to go out and pay what every has come to consider a standard tip. I have already cut my tipping back to 10% due to increased food prices. Let’s face it a five dollar plate of food costs just as much to carry as a $25 plate of food and the quality of service in the majority of restaurants has sunk to less than good.


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Say good-bye to “starter” jobs and say hello to higher prices.


When will the left learn the basic laws of Economics?


Answer…they won’t…because the answer goes against their religion of Liberalism.


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If you can’t make a comment without blaming, you have already failed.


“religion of Liberalism” is a logical fallacy.


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Does this mean we will see fast food joints run entirely by robots like in Phoenix, AZ?


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Yes…and I can’t wait for it…

It will be a nice education lesson for the leftists.


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But…what is this REALLY all about?

Payroll taxes baby! The State will now get more in Tax Revenue. The State doesn’t care about the low skill/wage workers or they would be against illegal Immigration that drives down the labor wages. To them, it’s about getting more tax money for projects like the Crazy Train to pay off political friends.


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Possibly. I have no idea, but I am wondering if this is also about creating career jobs for the immigrants.


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No it’s all about more money for the government employees!


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Government employees have nothing to do with pushing this agenda. It’s about the Democrats trying to get votes.


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Men, with a higher minimum, there will be less, not more, jobs


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