For everyone to have access to the good life, we must ensure that Nebraska workers are paid a living wage. That’s why the minimum wage increase passed overwhelmingly on the ballot in November, and why we must now all fight to protect it.
When Nebraskans went to the ballot box a few months ago, we voted to gradually raise our state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by January 2026, and to index future wage increases so that our wage floor will adjust automatically to account for increases in the cost of living.
Despite nearly 60% of Nebraska voters supporting this change, two legislative bills now seek to undermine the wage increase.
We are opposed to both bills:
- LB327 (Senator Raybould) seeks to severely weaken the automatic wage adjustments and cause future wages to once again fall behind the increasing cost of living. If passed, this would force yearly efforts to raise the wage floor so that working Nebraskans could meet their basic needs.
- LB15 (Senator Briese) seeks to create a subminimum wage for young workers, disregarding the fact that many of them are working hard to support their families or save for their education.
These two pieces of proposed legislation directly undermine the will of Nebraskans across the state. A ballot initiative that garners nearly 60% of the vote is a clear indicator of where Nebraskans stand on an issue.
In this case, lawmakers should defer to the will of their constituents, who spoke loud and clear last November about the importance and necessity of raising wages for working Nebraskans across the state.
Will you join Nebraska Appleseed in opposing these bills? Call or email your senator today, and tell them why they should protect working Nebraskans. Do you have a story about why this matters to you or your loved ones? Contact Vic Klafter at vklafter@neappleseed.org to share your voice.