Raise the Wage
State Rep. Brigid Kelly and state Sens. Cecil Thomas and Hearcel Craig this week urged fellow lawmakers to sign onto their bill to increase Ohio's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027.
"We can't afford to stay stuck in the past with poverty-wage jobs that don't let Ohioans live up to their full potential," said Kelly. "Ohio's minimum wage needs an overhaul to meet the demands of today's new economy."
The bill is similar to a Florida ballot measure that passed in Nov. 2020 with more than 60 percent of the statewide vote.
"Far too many Ohioans work multiple jobs and still can't afford to pay for food, bills and health care," said Thomas. "That's shameful, but it's also something the General Assembly can fix by passing this legislation. We need to make sure workers in Ohio are adequately paid so they can take care of their families."
A 2019 Policy Matters Ohio report found that increasing Ohio's minimum wage to $15 would lift wages for some 2 million Ohio workers.
"Raising Ohio's minimum wage will increase productivity and stimulate consumer spending," Craig said. "It is very simple: if Ohioans have more money, they will be more likely to spend it. Increasing our state's minimum wage is not just the right thing to do, it is also a smart investment in our economy."
Sen. Sherrod Brown is championing legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour at the federal level, as well.
"For too many people in this country, hard work isn't paying off," said Brown. "While costs for Ohio families are rising and workers are more productive than ever, wages aren't keeping up. It's long past time that we recognize the value of work in our country, and that's why I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation and honoring the Dignity of Work."
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