Politics

California Voters Reject Record-High Minimum Wage Increase

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California voters rejected a ballot measure that would have raised the minimum wage to the highest in the country.

Proposition 32 was rejected by a slim margin, with 50.8% opposing and 49.2% supporting, with 100% of precincts reporting, according to the unofficial tally and the Associated Press. The measure would have raised the minimum wage to $18 an hour by 2026, the highest in the country.

“With the economy and costs top of mind for many voters this election, that message appears to have resonated,” Jennifer Barrera, California Chamber of Commerce president and opponent of the measure, told the AP.

Currently, California has a $16 an hour minimum wage and a $20 an hour for fast-food workers. In 2016, California was the first to have their minimum wage raised to $15 an hour.

Despite the statewide rejection, over 40 counties and cities in the state already have an $18 hourly minimum wage, according to the AP.

Joe Sanberg, the largest fundraiser in favor of the proposition, wrote in the official state-run voter guide for the measure that Proposition 32 would stimulate the economy while providing a better quality of life for low-wage workers and fight exploitation from big corporations.

“Proposition 32’s failure to pass is disappointing for all Californians who believe that everyone who works should earn enough to support their families,” Kathy Finn, president of United Food and Commercial Workers 770, a Southern California union, told the AP.

Opponents of the measure, such as California Grocers Association President Ron Fong and California Restaurant Association President Jot Condie, argued that the raise would create additional costs for businesses while making things more expensive for consumers, according to the voter guide.

“Arguments about the minimum wage are always very emotional,” Till von Wachter, economics professor at UCLA, told the Los Angeles Times Tuesday. “Economic issues are top of mind right now, and that can lead to a rejection of a higher minimum wage.”

The District of Columbia currently has the highest minimum wage in the nation at $17 an hour, according to the Department of Labor. Hawaii voted in 2022 to increase their minimum wage to 18$ an hour, but the law won’t take effect until 2028, according to the AP.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.