Nebraska Initiative 433, Minimum Wage Increase Initiative (2022)

Nebraska Initiative 433
Election date November 8, 2022
Topic Minimum wage
Status a Approved
Type State statute	Origin Citizens

Nebraska Initiative 433, the Minimum Wage Increase Initiative, was on the ballot in Nebraska as an initiated state statute on November 8, 2022. The ballot measure was approved.

A "yes" vote supported this ballot initiative to incrementally increase the state's minimum wage from $9 to $15 by 2026 and annually adjust the minimum wage thereafter by the cost of living.

A "no" vote opposed this ballot initiative to incrementally increase the state's minimum wage from $9 to $15 by 2026.

Election results

Nebraska Initiative 433
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		386,756	58.66%
No		272,603	41.34%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

How did Initiative 433 change the minimum wage in Nebraska?

Initiative 433 increased the state's minimum wage to $15.00 beginning on January 1, 2026. As of 2022, the minimum wage was $9.00 per hour in Nebraska. Changes were designed to be made each year as follows:

• $10.50 on January 1, 2023;
• $12.00 on January 1, 2024;
• $13.50 on January 1, 2025; and
• $15.00 on January 1, 2026.

After 2026, the minimum wage was adjusted each year based on increases to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the Midwest Region.

When was the minimum wage last increased in Nebraska?

In 2016, the minimum wage increased to $9.00 per hour in Nebraska. Voters approved a ballot initiative, Initiative 425, in 2014. Prior to Initiative 425, the state minimum wage was $7.25.

Who was behind the campaigns surrounding Initiative 433?

See also: Campaign finance

Raise the Wage Nebraska led the campaign in support of the ballot initiative. Through December 31, 2022, the campaign raised $3.7 million, including $2.5 million from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, $319,457.13 from the Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest, and $283,189.63 from The Fairness Project. The campaign stated, "The cost of living continues to rise, but wages just haven’t kept up. Parents can’t afford to pay rent and put food on the table at today’s minimum wage of $9 an hour, just $18,000 a year."

Prosper Nebraska registered in opposition to the initiative. The committee received $51,000 in contributions. Ansley Fellers, executive director of Nebraska Grocery Industry Association, said, "A minimum wage mandate like this treats a company in Superior or a grocer in Superior, Osceola, Scottsbluff or Baird like Lincoln and Omaha. Services and goods are going to have to go up too."

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Initiative 433 was as follows:

“

Shall the Nebraska statute establishing a minimum wage for employees be amended to increase the state minimum wage from nine dollars ($9.00) per hour to ten dollars and fifty cents ($10.50) per hour on January 1, 2023, to twelve dollars ($12.00) per hour on January 1, 2024, to thirteen dollars and fifty cents ($13.50) per hour on January 1, 2025, and to fifteen dollars ($15.00) per hour on January 1, 2026, to be adjusted annually thereafter to account for increases in the cost of living? [ ] For [ ] Against

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for Initiative 433 was as follows:

“

A vote 'FOR' will amend the Nebraska statute establishing a minimum wage for employees to increase the state minimum wage from nine dollars ($9.00) per hour to ten dollars and fifty cents ($10.50) per hour on January 1, 2023, to twelve dollars ($12.00) per hour on January 1, 2024, to thirteen dollars and fifty cents ($13.50) per hour on January 1, 2025, and to fifteen dollars ($15.00) per hour on January 1, 2026, to be adjusted annually thereafter to account for increases in the cost of living. A vote 'AGAINST' means the Nebraska statute establishing a minimum wage for employees will not be amended in such manner.

”

Object statement

The object statement for Initiative 433 was as follows:

“

The object of this Petition is to amend Nebraska's minimum wage law to increase the state minimum wage from nine dollars ($9.00) per hour to ten dollars and fifty cents ($10.50) per hour on January 1, 2023, to twelve dollars ($12.00) per hour on January 1, 2024, to thirteen dollars and fifty cents ($13.50) per hour on January 1, 2025, and to fifteen dollars ($15.00) per hour on January 1, 2026, to be adjusted annually thereafter to account for increases in the cost of living.

”

Full text

The full text of the ballot initiative is below:

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2022

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The secretary of state wrote the ballot language for this measure.

The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 32, and the FRE is -6. The word count for the ballot title is 72.

The FKGL for the ballot summary is grade level 22, and the FRE is 21. The word count for the ballot summary is 94.

Support

Raise the Wage Nebraska led the campaign in support of Initiative 433.

Supporters

Officials

• State Sen. Megan Hunt (Nonpartisan)
• State Sen. Terrell McKinney (D)

Unions

• Nebraska AFL-CIO
• Nebraska State Education Association
• Service Employees International Union

Organizations

• ACLU of Nebraska
• League of Women Voters of Lincoln/Lancaster
• NAACP Lincoln Branch
• Nebraska Appleseed
• Nebraska Civic Engagement Table
• Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska
• Sixteen Thirty Fund
• The Fairness Project

Arguments

• Nancy Williams, CEO of No More Empty Pots: "This initiative will improve the lives of tens of thousands of Nebraska families. 1 in 5 workers who will benefit is a parent supporting children and trying to make ends meet. The cost of groceries, housing and basics have gone up for years, and inflation is now at record highs, but the minimum wage just hasn’t kept up. No one working full-time should struggle to make ends meet."
• Ken Smith, the economic justice director at Nebraska Appleseed: "Workers in low-wage jobs and their families benefit the most from these income increases, reducing poverty and income inequality. Nebraskans should not have to choose between paying their rent and buying groceries. We all want to be able to provide for our families and raising the minimum wage is an important step toward making that a reality for many underpaid Nebraskans."
• Joey Adler Ruane, policy director at Open Sky Institute: "Arguing that the minimum wage should only be raised after the current inflationary outbreak is far in the past is arguing that low-wage workers should have no serious protection against the damage to living standards being done."

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not locate a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure.

Opponents

Officials

• State Sen. Tom Brewer (R)

Unions

• Nebraska Grocery Industry Association

Organizations

• Lincoln Independent Business Association

Arguments

• State Sen. Tom Brewer (R-43): "The vast majority of new jobs are created in small businesses with less than 50 employees. It not only causes employers to not hire new employees and or cut employees, the additional labor cost forces employers to find higher skilled workers whose labor is actually worth the increased wage the government is forcing the business to pay. This law of economics threatens the jobs of the young, unskilled workers lucky enough to still have one. Imagine being an employee who isn’t worth the higher wage."
• Katie Bohlmeyer, policy and research coordinator of the Lincoln Independent Business Association (LIBA): "When asked how this decision would affect their businesses and wages, the number one concern is that increasing the minimum wage is inflationary to their businesses and ultimately the economy. Every business owner, president and CEO can tell you they don’t know a single business owner who is using the minimum wage of $9 an hour. The lack of workforce is already putting pressure in business owners, many of which have starting salaries at the proposed wage."
• Ansley Fellers, executive director of Nebraska Grocery Industry Association: "A minimum wage mandate like this treats a company in Superior or a grocer in Superior, Osceola, Scottsbluff or Baird like Lincoln and Omaha. Services and goods are going to have to go up too."

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Nebraska ballot measures

The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recent scheduled reports that Ballotpedia has processed, which covered through January 17, 2023.

Raise the Wage Nebraska registered as a committee supporting Initiative 433. The committee received $3.7 million, including $2.5 million from the Sixteen Thirty Fund. Prosper Nebraska registered in opposition to the initiative. The committee received $51,000 in contributions.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$3,105,141.19	$561,788.10	$3,666,929.29	$3,091,151.82	$3,652,939.92
Oppose	$51,000.00	$0.00	$51,000.00	$32,546.14	$32,546.14
Total	$3,156,141.19	$561,788.10	$3,717,929.29	$3,123,697.96	$3,685,486.06

Support

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in support of the measure.

Committees in support of Initiative 433
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Raise the Wage Nebraska	$3,105,141.19	$561,788.10	$3,666,929.29	$3,091,151.82	$3,652,939.92
Total	$3,105,141.19	$561,788.10	$3,666,929.29	$3,091,151.82	$3,652,939.92

Donors

The following were the top donors who contributed to the support committee.

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Sixteen Thirty Fund	$2,350,000.00	$138,030.00	$2,488,030.00
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest	$263,100.00	$56,357.13	$319,457.13
The Fairness Project	$265,000.00	$18,189.63	$283,189.63
Nebraska Appleseed Action Fund	$102,349.19	$138,667.89	$241,017.08
Service Employees International Union	$50,000.00	$65,300.00	$115,300.00

Opposition

The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in opposition to the measure.

Committees in support of Initiative 433
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Propser Nebraska	$51,000.00	$0.00	$51,000.00	$32,546.14	$32,546.14
Total	$51,000.00	$0.00	$51,000.00	$32,546.14	$32,546.14

Donors

The following were the top donors who contributed to the opposition committee.

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Nebraska Grocery Industry Association Inc.	$49,000.00	$0.00	$49,000.00
Nebraska Petroleum Marketers, Inc.	$2,000.00	$0.00	$2,000.00

Methodology

To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.

Media editorials

See also: 2022 ballot measure media endorsements

Ballotpedia identified the following media editorial boards as taking positions on the initiative.

Ballotpedia lists the positions of media editorial boards that support or oppose ballot measures. This does not include opinion pieces from individuals or groups that do not represent the official position of a newspaper or media outlet. Ballotpedia includes editorials from newspapers and outlets based on circulation and readership, political coverage within a state, and length of publication. You can share media editorial board endorsements with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Support

• The North Platte Telegraph Editorial Board: "The point of a minimum wage hasn’t changed since Washington enacted the first permanent federal wage floor in 1938: to ensure that Americans can afford the most basic necessities of life. The indexing part of this initiative would help keep the minimum wage from falling too far behind. Remember also that Initiative 433 won’t be written into the state constitution. It would just amend existing law. That’s easier to adjust. ... Nebraskans should vote 'YES' on Initiative 433."

Opposition

• Norfolk Daily News Editorial Board: "With the rampant inflation of the past 15 months, an argument could be made that the minimum wage already has risen to the rates being proposed in Nebraska. For starters, it would be amended to increase from $9 per hour to $10.50 per hour on Jan. 1, 2023. In reality, many fast-food restaurants and other employers who are subject to the minimum wage are already paying wages higher than this. The biggest issue with these types of controls — such as minimum wages, wage freezes or any type of price control — is they only have short-term benefits of what they were intended to do. For decades, U.S. economic classes at universities discussed these concepts and promoted free markets."

Background

Nebraska Initiative 415 (2014)

See also: Nebraska Minimum Wage Increase, Initiative 425 (2014)

In 2014, Nebraskans approved Initiative 425, which increased the minimum wage to $9.00 in 2016. Initiative 425 received 59.47% of the vote. Prior to Initiative 425, the minimum wage was $7.25 in Nebraska. The state's minimum wage had never been higher than the federal minimum wage before the initiative's approval.

State minimum wage rates, 2022

The average state minimum wage in 2022 was $9.85, up from $9.59 in 2021.

The highest 2022 statewide minimum wages were:

• $15.00 in California,
• $14.49 in Washington, and
• $14.25 in Massachusetts.

In Washington, D.C., the minimum wage was $15.20 per hour. The lowest minimum wages based on state law were $5.15 in Georgia and Wyoming, which were lower than the federal government's requirement. When the state rate is lower than the federal rate, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 superseded state law for most types of employees. Twenty (20) states used the federal minimum wage rate of $7.25.

The map below shows state minimum wages in 2022.

Minimum wage ballot measures

See also: Minimum wage laws ballot measures

From 1996 to 2024, there were 32 ballot measures to increase state minimum wages. Voters approved 28 (87.50%) and rejected four (12.50%). In 2024, California and Massachusetts became the first states to reject minimum wage increase ballot measures since 1996. The other two defeated measures were on the ballot in 1996 in Missouri and Montana.

The following chart shows election outcomes for minimum wage increase ballot measures from 1996 to 2024.

Measures to increase state minimum wages (1996-2024)
Year	State	Measure	Wage	Type	Yes votes (%)	No votes (%)	Outcome
2024	California	Proposition 32	$18.00 (2026)	Initiative	N/A	N/A	d
2024	Massachusetts	Question 5	$15.00 (2029) for Tipped Employees	Initiative	N/A	N/A	d
2024	Missouri	Proposition A	$15.00 (2026)	Initiative	N/A	N/A	a
2024	Alaska	Ballot Measure 1	$15.00 (2027)	Initiative	N/A	N/A	a
2022	Nebraska	Initiative 433	$15.00 (2026)	Initiative	58.66%	41.34%	a
2022	Nevada	Amendment 2	$12.00 (2024)	Referral	55.18%	44.82%	a
2020	Florida	Amendment 2	$15.00 (2026)	Initiative	60.82%	39.18%	a
2018	Arkansas	Issue 5	$11.00 (2021)	Initiative	68.46%	31.54%	a
2018	Missouri	Proposition B	$12.00 (2023)	Initiative	62.34%	37.66%	a
2016	Arizona	Proposition 206	$12.00 (2020)	Initiative	58.33%	41.67%	a
2016	Colorado	Amendment 70	$12.00 (2020)	Initiative	55.36%	44.64%	a
2016	Maine	Question 4	$12.00 (2020)	Initiative	55.50%	44.50%	a
2016	Washington	Initiative 1433	$13.50 (2020)	Initiative	57.42%	42.58%	a
2014	Alaska	Measure 3	$9.75 (2016)	Initiative	69.35%	30.65%	a
2014	Arkansas	Issue 5	$8.50 (2017)	Initiative	65.94%	34.06%	a
2014	Nebraska	Initiative 425	$9.00 (2016)	Initiative	59.47%	40.53%	a
2014	South Dakota	Measure 18	$8.50 (2015)	Initiative	55.05%	44.95%	a
2013	New Jersey	Question 2	$8.25 (2014)	Referral	61.26%	38.74%	a
2006	Arizona	Proposition 2022	$6.75 (2007)	Initiative	65.37%	34.63%	a
2006	Colorado	Initiative 42	$6.85 (2007)	Initiative	53.30%	46.70%	a
2006	Missouri	Proposition B	$6.50 (2007)	Initiative	75.94%	24.06%	a
2006	Montana	I-151	$6.50 (2007)	Initiative	72.69%	27.31%	a
2006	Nevada	Question 6	$6.15 (2006)	Initiative	68.71%	31.29%	a
2006	Ohio	Amendment 2	$6.85 (2007)	Initiative	56.65%	43.35%	a
2004	Florida	Amendment 5	$6.15 (2005)	Initiative	71.25%	28.75%	a
2004	Nevada	Question 6	$6.15 (2006)	Initiative	68.4%	31.6%	a
2002	Oregon	Measure 25	$6.90 (2003)	Initiative	51.3%	48.7%	a
1998	Washington	Initiative 688	$6.50 (2000)	Initiative	66.1%	33.9%	a
1996	California	Proposition 210	$5.75 (1998)	Initiative	61.45%	38.55%	a
1996	Missouri	Proposition A	$6.75 (1999)	Initiative	28.70%	71.30%	d
1996	Montana	I-121	$6.25 (2000)	Initiative	43.53%	56.47%	d
1996	Oregon	Measure 36	$6.50 (1999)	Initiative	56.85%	43.15%	a

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Nebraska

The state process

In Nebraska, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated state statute for the ballot is equal to 7 percent of registered voters as of the deadline for filing signatures. Because of the unique signature requirement based on registered voters, Nebraska is also the only state where petition sponsors cannot know the exact number of signatures required until they are submitted. Nebraska law also features a distribution requirement mandating that petitions contain signatures from 5 percent of the registered voters in each of two-fifths (38) of Nebraska's 93 counties.

Signatures must be submitted at least four months prior to the next general election. Signatures do not roll over; they become invalid after the next general election at least four months after the initial initiative application filing. Depending on when the initiative application is filed, petitioners can have up to just under two years to circulate petitions.

The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2022 ballot:

• Signatures: 86,776
• Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was July 7, 2022.

Signatures are submitted to the secretary of state. The secretary of state sends the appropriate signature petitions to each county, where county election officials verify the signatures. Upon receiving the signatures back from county officials, the secretary of state determines whether or not the requirements were met.

Details about this initiative

• The initiative was filed by Raise the Wage Nebraska on August 20, 2021.
• On July 7, 2022, the campaign reported submitting over 152,000 signatures to the secretary of state.
• On September 6, 2022, the secretary of state reported that the petition contained 97,245 valid signatures and met the state's distribution requirement in 44 of the 93 counties.

Cost per required signature

Sponsors of the measure hired Advanced Micro Targeting and additional individuals to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $1,202,033.07 was spent to collect the 86,776 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $13.85.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Nebraska

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Nebraska.

How to vote in Nebraska

Poll times

In Nebraska, all polling locations are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time and 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. Nebraska is divided between Central and Mountain time zones.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Nebraska, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the Nebraska county in which they are registering, and at least 18 years old by the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Citizens are eligible to register to vote on January 1 of the year they will turn 18 before the November general election. People convicted of a felony regain the right to vote upon completion on their sentence, including parole and probation. Individuals who have been declared mentally incompetent by a court are ineligible to register to vote. A voter registration application can be completed in person at the county clerk or election commissioner's office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or other state agencies. In-person registration must be completed by the third Friday preceding the election if completed at the DMV or other state agencies. In-person registration at county election offices must be completed by 6 p.m. on the second Friday before the election. Applications returned by mail must be postmarked by the third Friday before the election. Online applications must be submitted by midnight on the third Friday before the election.

Automatic registration

Nebraska does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Nebraska has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. The Nebraska State Senate enacted legislation allowing online voter registration in 2014, and the system was implemented in 2015.

Same-day registration

Nebraska does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

In Nebraska, citizens can register to vote the day they become residents of the state.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Nebraska does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "any registrant who signs this application knowing that any of the information in the application is false shall be guilty of a Class IV felony under section 32-1502 of the statutes of Nebraska. The penalty for a Class IV felony is up to two years imprisonment and twelve months post-release supervision, a fine of up to $10,000.00, or both."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Voter View site, run by the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Nebraska requires voters to present identification while voting.

Initiative 432, approved by Nebraska voters in November 2022, amended Article I of the state constitution to require voters to present valid photo identification in order to vote. Governor Jim Pillen (R) signed Legislative Bill 514 into law on June 1, 2023, in order to implement this policy change. Due to this legislation, Nebraska's voter ID requirement went into effect on April 1, 2024, in time for the state's 2024 primary.

See also

2022 measures

• 2022 ballot measures
• Minimum wage on the ballot
• 2022 petition deadlines

Nebraska

• Nebraska ballot measures
• Nebraska initiative laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls
• Ballot measure signature costs

External links

• Full text