Minimum Wage Adjustment Bill Advances at the Legislature.

A bill to adjust the minimum wage advance at the legislature.

Here's the statement of intent for the bill:

The following constitutes the reasons for this bill and the purposes which are sought to be
accomplished thereby:
LB 258 would establish an annual fixed rate increase of 1.5% for the minimum wage beginning on January 1, 2027.
Additionally, the bill would 1) establish a minimum wage of $13.50 per hour for youths aged 14 and 15, except emancipated minors, and 2) amend the 90-day training wage for new employees to apply to those who are at least sixteen years of age but younger than eighteen at a rate of $13.50 per hour through December 31, 2026, and a rate of 75% of the minimum wage on and after January 1, 2027. 

Nebraska Appleseed responded with this release.

Nebraska Legislature advances harmful minimum wage changes, disrespecting the will of voters
LB258 directly undermines changes that were overwhelmingly approved by Nebraska voters

LINCOLN, NE – Today, 33 senators in the Nebraska Legislature continued to blatantly ignore the will of Nebraska voters by advancing LB258 through its second round of debate. The bill is now headed to Final Reading, where it will require 33 votes to pass into law.

LB258, introduced by Senator Jane Raybould, would severely weaken Nebraska’s minimum wage law by carving out a subminimum wage for workers under the age of 20, and by restricting the cost of living increases that Nebraskans voted for via Initiative 433.

“Every Nebraskan deserves fair pay that keeps up with the cost of living. LB258 directly undermines changes that were overwhelmingly approved by Nebraska voters, and it will all but ensure that Nebraska wages once again fall behind the ever-rising cost of living,” says Ken Smith, Economic Justice Program Director at Nebraska Appleseed.

“A ballot initiative that garners nearly 60% of the vote is a clear indicator of where Nebraskans stand on an issue. Lawmakers should defer to the will of their constituents, who spoke loud and clear in 2022 about the importance and necessity of raising wages for working Nebraskans across the state.”
Nebraska Appleseed encourages Nebraskans to continue contacting their senators to ask them to oppose LB258 when it’s up for Final Reading.