Texas Minimum Wage Increase Amendment (2015)
| Not on Ballot |
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| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The Texas Minimum Wage Increase Amendment was not on the November 3, 2015 ballot in Texas as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment.
The measure would have set the state's hourly minimum wage at $10.10 or the federal minimum wage, whichever was greater.[1]
The measure was introduced into the Texas Legislature by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-116) as House Joint Resolution 26.[2]
The minimum wage in Texas is $7.25 per hour. This is not changing as of January 1, 2016. The minimum wage is changing in 14 other states as of January 1, 2016.[3]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The proposed ballot title was:[1]
| “ | The constitutional amendment establishing a minimum wage of the greater of $10.10 an hour or the federal minimum wage.[4] | ” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article 16, Texas Constitution
The proposed amendment would have added a Section 29 to Article 16 of the Texas Constitution. The following text would have been added by the proposed measure's approval:[1]
(a) An employer in this state shall pay to an employee for services performed by the employee not less than the greater of:
- (1) $10.10 an hour; or
- (2) the federal minimum wage under Section 6, Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. Section 206).
(b) Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to:
- (1) wages paid to an individual to whom Section 62.057, Labor Code, applies, as that section existed on January 1, 2016; or
- (2) an employer to which an exemption under Subchapter D, Chapter 62, Labor Code, applies, as that subchapter existed on January 1, 2016.
(c) The legislature by general law may repeal or otherwise limit but may not expand the applicability of Section 62.057, Labor Code, or an exemption under Subchapter D, Chapter 62, Labor Code, that is in effect on January 1, 2016.
TEMPORARY PROVISION.
(a) This temporary provision applies to the constitutional amendment proposed by the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, establishing a minimum wage of the greater of $10.10 an hour or the federal minimum wage.
(b) Section 29, Article XVI, of this constitution takes effect January 1,2016.
(c) This temporary provision expires January 1, 2017.[4]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Texas Constitution
The proposed constitutional amendment was filed by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-116) as House Joint Resolution 26 on November 10, 2014.[2] A two-thirds vote in both chambers of the Texas State Legislature was required to refer this amendment to the ballot. Texas is one of 16 states that require a two-thirds supermajority. The measure was not approved by both chambers of the legislature.
State profile
| Demographic data for Texas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Texas | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 27,429,639 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 261,232 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 74.9% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 11.9% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 38.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 81.9% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 27.6% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $53,207 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 19.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Texas. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Texas
Texas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Texas, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[5]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Texas had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Texas coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Texas
- United States congressional delegations from Texas
- Public policy in Texas
- Endorsers in Texas
- Texas fact checks
- More...
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Texas Legislature, "HJR No. 26," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Texas Legislature, "HJR No. 26 History," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "STATE MINIMUM WAGES | 2016 MINIMUM WAGE BY STATE," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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