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Idaho Minimum Wage Increase Initiative (2020)
| Idaho Minimum Wage Increase Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2020 | |
| Topic Minimum wage | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The Idaho Minimum Wage Increase Initiative was not on the ballot in Idaho as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2020.
The measure would have incrementally increased the minimum wage in Idaho to $12 per hour by June 2024.[1]
Text of measure
Short ballot title
The short ballot title was as follows:[2]
| “ |
An initiative amending minimum wage law by increasing the general minimum wage and minimum wage of tipped employees.[3] |
” |
Long ballot title
The long ballot title was as follows:[2]
| “ |
An initiative amending chapter 15, title 44, Idaho Code; increasing minimum wage rate applicable to most non-exempt employees annually for four (4) consecutive years; establishing formula for subsequent years to annually adjust minimum wage rate in direct proportion to increases in specified federal consumer price index; increasing minimum wage amount of direct wages paid to tipped employees annually for four (4) consecutive years; providing on January 1 of each year following the fourth year minimum wage for tipped employees shall not be less than three dollars and ninety cents ($3.90) less than general minimum wage; and repealing subsection (3) of section 44-1502, Idaho Code, removing allowance for employers to pay a minimum wage rate of four dollars and twenty-five cents ($4.25) to employees under age of twenty (20) for a period of ninety (90) days after initially employed.[3] |
” |
Full text
The full text of the initiative can be found here.
Support
Idahoans for a Fair Wage was leading the campaign in support of the measure.[4][5]
Arguments
Rod Couch of Idahoans for a Fair Wage said, "I think this would stimulate the economy, and our goal really is to help lift working Idahoans out of poverty. We’ve found that a lot of the people that this would really help would be people pretty much 35 and under."[4]
Rep. Sue Chew (D-Boise) said, "So many people are at the lower end of our earning scale, and they work really hard. It's not livable, even in Idaho."[4]
Opposition
Arguments
Idaho Sen. Jim Rice (R-10) said, "“It’s poor economic policy to do minimum wages. It’s a type of price control."[4]
Media editorials
- See also: 2020 ballot measure media endorsements
Support
- The Idaho Press said: "Without weighing in on the measure itself, we are in favor of putting this particular measure on the ballot and having the voters decide. We are happy to see that this proposal is a gradual one, rather than, say, an immediate jump up to $15 an hour, making this proposal more palatable and giving business owners more time to adjust to the added cost. We also like the idea of tying the minimum wage to the cost of living, a reasonable standard and one that takes the decision out of the hands of legislators, who are at the mercy of the vagaries of politics. We’re not yet ready to give our stamp of approval to raising the minimum wage, but for the time being, we support putting your signature on the petition and getting it on the ballot so the voters can decide."[6]
Opposition
Ballotpedia did not identify any media editorials in opposition to the measure. If you are aware of one, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Background
Minimum wages by state
Path to the ballot
The state process
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In Idaho, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated state statute for the ballot is equal to 6 percent of the registered voters as of the state's last general election. Petitions can be circulated for up to 18 months. Idaho features a distribution requirement that signatures equal to at least 6 percent of registered voters in 18 of the state's 35 legislative districts be included in petitions. Signatures for initiatives must be submitted by May 1 of the year in which the measure is to go on the ballot.
The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2020 ballot:
- Signatures: 55,057 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was May 1, 2020.
Initiative petition signatures are verified by county clerks and then sent to the secretary of state for certification.
Details about the initiative
- Proponents reported having collected more than 20,000 signatures as of December 25, 2019.[7]
- On March 17, 2020, Idahoans for a Fair Wage announced that they were suspending their signature drive due to the coronavirus pandemic. The campaign reported having collected more than 32,000 signatures.[8]
- The campaign did not submit signatures on the May 1 deadline.[2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "2020 minimum wage initiative full text and Attorney General Certificate of Review," accessed April 24, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Idaho Secretary of State, "2020 Proposed Ballot Initiatives," accessed April 24, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Idaho Press, "Idaho minimum wage falling farther behind, prompting ballot measure," accessed June 17, 2019
- ↑ Facebook, "Idahoans for a Fair Wage," accessed June 17, 2019
- ↑ Idaho Press, "Editorial: Minimum wage proposal should get on the ballot," accessed June 24, 2019
- ↑ Idaho State Journal, "Minimum wage initiative tops 20,000 signatures," accessed December 26, 2019
- ↑ Facebook, "Idahoans for a Fair Wage post March 18 at 2:00 PM," accessed March 20, 2020
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State of Idaho Boise (capital) |
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