Raise the Wage Ohio postpones filing of petition to raise state minimum wage

A group proposing to put the issue of raising Ohio’s minimum wage to $15 on the November ballot stopped that effort Wednesday when it could not meet a deadline to file the needed number of petitions.

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One Fair Wage actually has until 11:59 p.m. July 3 to file the paperwork, but released a statement about 4:40 p.m. to report there were not enough signatures to get on the ballot, according to various news reports statewide. The organization needed 412,487 signatures.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued the following statement after learning of One Fair Wage’s announcement:

“Minutes ago, I was informed by Raise the Wage Ohio’s counsel that they will not be filing a petition prior to tonight’s deadline.

This group spent the better part of the day falsely blaming me for access issues to our building due to a fireworks event downtown. Then they changed their story entirely and publicly admitted to falling short of signature requirements, but shamefully accused rural Ohioans of being racist as cover for their failure. Minutes later, they walked that statement back. Now they have confirmed once again that they cannot file. This is a duplicitous, disorganized goat rodeo of a campaign that has made every excuse in the book for their lack of compliance with the law.

Let me be clear. My team has made every accommodation to facilitate a smooth and secure filing of this petition. We worked with the city’s Emergency Operations Command, the Columbus Police Department, the Ohio Highway Patrol and the chief of staff and deputy chief of staff at the Columbus mayor’s office. Access issues were never a problem. Rural Ohioans are not to blame. I won’t sit quietly while any group distorts the truth to cover for their own negligence.”

Steve Stivers, Ohio Chamber president and CEO, issued the following statement:

“The Ohio Chamber believes that this out-of-state interest group’s failure to submit the necessary signatures for a November ballot issue is a win for Ohio. Raising the minimum wage will only result in higher prices for Ohio families, and today’s events prove that the general public is realizing that; our polling in the last year has also steadily shown a decline in voter support for this effort.

Higher minimum wages would disproportionately harm small businesses, who would have to double their payroll costs on tipped workers, and tipped workers themselves, who already more than make up the difference in wages through customer tips. As a result, it would slow the development of new hospitality and retail businesses in Ohio and would only exacerbate inflation, which is already hitting families hard in their everyday lives, at the gas pump and at the grocery store.”

News Center 7 / WHIO.com will update this developing report as more details become available.