Raise the Wage Ohio toes deadline for petition signature submissions

(The Center Square) - Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Wednesday he expects Raise the Wage Ohio to turn in petition signatures for a proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the minimum wage, joining two other filings for the November ballot this week.

The Raise the Wage Ohio campaign, made up mostly of volunteers, needs 413,487 valid petition signatures for the amendment to reach the ballot.

The amendment would raise the state minimum wage to $15 per hour plus tips by 2026. It would also strike language in current law which allows some state-licensed employers to pay disabled workers less than the required wage, if their disabilities negatively affect their employment opportunities.

“No one should be working for sub-minimum wages. Our #RaiseTheWageOhio amendment will ban sub-minimum wages and ensure all hardworking Ohioans make a living wage,” the organization said on social media.

The current Ohio minimum wage for tipped employees is $5.25 per hour, and $10.45 for non-tipped workers. Minimum wage for youth workers is $7.25 per hour.

“Ending separate treatment for tipped workers, those with a disability, and youth is a critical part of the policy solution. If the measure passes, tipped workers will earn the full minimum wage with tips on top. In 2026, the ballot measure would benefit nearly 1 million Ohioans,” said Policy Matters Ohio, which supports the amendment.

As previously reported by The Center Square, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce opposes the proposed amendment, saying it will hurt small businesses that continue to struggle.

“The proposed minimum wage amendment to the Ohio Constitution is not only ill-advised and economically detrimental, it would be next to impossible to correct once the unintended consequences transpire,” Chamber CEO Steve Stivers said.