Proposition 32 was on the ballot this election and aimed to raise the minimum wage in California from $16 to $18 an hour, but did not pass, with 51% of voters voting no on an increase.
Local business owner Stacey Van Lente, who owns Elk Grove’s Pinot’s Palette, thinks that raising the minimum wage would have only made her business more expensive, because to pay her workers more, they need to raise the prices.
“Many small businesses have shut down, many are barely holding on and will shut down in the near future because they can’t afford it,” Van Lente said.
This proposition, which was put on the ballots by petition signatures, hoped to increase minimum wage yearly, adjusting for inflation, until 2026, where it would reach $18. Following this, the yearly wage would go up based on how fast prices are rising.
For employers with 26 or more employees, the wage would increase immediately to $17, then increase to $18 at the start of 2025. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, at the start of 2025 their wage would be $17, and would increase to $18 at the start of 2026.
Arguments in support of Proposition 32 were that workers would be able to afford the state’s cost of living and basic necessities, according to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office.
Serentena Rositani, a 24-year-old architecture major, believes that raising the minimum wage is the first step to giving people better lives.
“People should be able to afford a comfortable living lifestyle, and as of right now, people are struggling while even working two jobs,”Rositani said.
Arguments against Proposition 32 were that the cost of living would have to increase, causing jobs to decrease, making it harder on businesses and workers, according to the LAO.
Ella Petrinovich, an 19-year-old undeclared major, thinks raising the minimum wage wouldn’t be beneficial cost-wise.
“Paying people more just ends up meaning that everything else is going to get more expensive. You can’t really have one without having the other,” Petrinovich said.
Because Proposition 32 did not pass during this election, effective Jan. 1, 2025, the California minimum wage will be $16.50.