Jon Coupal is President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
California has raised its minimum wage four times over the past 13 years, with each increase outpacing the federal minimum wage. California’s current minimum wage is 138% of the federal level, and with the impending statewide increase mandated by current law in 2016, California will have the highest minimum wage in the country.
Despite clear negative impacts on both California’s economy and low income citizens, Senate Bill 3 (Leno) would mandate an additional statewide increase to $13 per hour with annual, auto-scheduled wage increases thereafter.
With another increase already teed up for January 2016, pre-programing additional increases is reckless. The weight of economic data compels the conclusion that arbitrary minimum wage increases do more harm than good. Motivated by the understandable desire to help the state’s lowest wage earners, the reality is that they reduce access to jobs for those citizens who need them most and further suppress upward mobility for those clinging to the bottom rung of the employment ladder.
To read the entire column click here http://www.hjta.org/california-commentary/%E2%80%8Bminimum-wage-hikes-hurt-the-economy-and-the-poor/