Efforts by the national campaign One Fair Wage for a November ballot initiative aimed at raising Ohio’s minimum wage to $15 an hour came up short.
According to the Associated Press, organizers failed to meet a Wednesday deadline to turn in its signatures, though they said they will attempt to get on the ballot next year.
The proposal sought to increase the state’s from its current rate of $10.45 to $12.75 in the first year, then to $15 a year later followed by annual increases for inflation.
“The Ohio Chamber believes that this out-of-state interest group’s failure to submit the necessary signatures for a November ballot issue is a win for Ohio. Raising the minimum wage will only result in higher prices for Ohio families, and today’s events prove that the general public is realizing that; our polling in the last year has also steadily shown a decline in voter support for this effort,” said Ohio Chamber President and CEO Steve Stivers. “Higher minimum wages would disproportionately harm small businesses, who would have to double their payroll costs on tipped workers, and tipped workers themselves, who already more than make up the difference in wages through customer tips. As a result, it would slow the development of new hospitality and retail businesses in Ohio and would only exacerbate inflation, which is already hitting families hard in their everyday lives, at the gas pump and at the grocery store.”
Last month, a report by Scioto Analysis showed while there would be some downsides to a $15 minimum wage in Ohio, it would also save 4,000 lives and bolster the state economy by $25 billion by 2036. The downside included a loss of jobs and fewer people seeking associate and bachelor degrees.
“The primary cost of raising the minimum wage in Ohio would be an increase in unemployment,” the report states. “We estimate that as many as 73,000 Ohioans could lose their jobs as a result of this change, which amounts to a rise in unemployment of a little over 1%.”
Here’s how the report indicates an increase in the minimum wage could save lives: “Research on minimum wage increases has shown that it can lower the suicide rate, prevent homicides, and lower infant mortality. Our model predicts that because of these three impacts, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour in Ohio would save approximately 4,100 lives over the next 10 years. “
Senate Bill 256 would also increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2028 but the Scioto Analysis report “suggests that if Senate Bill 256 is passed we should expect slight lower costs and benefits, as the real impact on wages will be lower.”
