This past January, Governor Christie decided to conditionally veto a minimum wage bill which would have increased our state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 an hour with an annual cost of living adjustment. In doing so, he turned his back on workers who are struggling to keep their heads above water, and he squandered a great opportunity to boost our state economy through increased consumer spending.
California, on the other hand is set to approve a minimum wage increase which will benefit their state and its families. Governor Jerry Brown has committed to sign a bill which will raise the state’s minimum wage from $8 to $10 an hour over the course of three years. The bill was passed by the California State Senate, is expected to easily pass the Assembly, and should be on the Governor’s desk to sign by next week.
While California is on the verge of enacting a $10 minimum wage, New Jersey families continue to struggle with a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which matches the federal wage floor. It is long past time that we raised New Jersey’s minimum wage, and our state’s families will have the opportunity to bypass Governor Christie’s disappointing veto by voting “Yes” on Ballot Question #2 this Election Day, November 5, 2013. This ballot initiative would raise New Jersey’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.25 per hour and include an important annual adjustment for the cost of living.
Hard working New Jersey families, who already have enough to worry about with balancing two or three jobs, should not have to appeal to the sympathies of politicians to ensure the minimum wage keeps pace with the costs of basic necessities. It is really just common sense that the minimum wage should be based on objective economic indicators such as the cost of living.
As California prepares to celebrate an important victory for workers’ wages and their state economy, we look forward to sharing this same victory by achieving voter approval of Ballot Question #2 in November.