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$15 minimum wage initiative fails to get enough signatures, won’t appear on Ohio ballots

By WHIO Staff
By WHIO Staff

COLUMBUS — Ohio voters won’t see a $15 minimum wage initiative on the ballot in November.

Raise the Wage Ohio failed to get enough signatures for the ballot initiative, our news partners at WBNS-10 TV reported.

“I’m a little jaded to not see it on the ballot. I was hoping to vote for it,” Carter Black, an Ohio resident said.

While the initiative failed to get enough signatures to get on the ballot for this year, they could try next year.

Anna Evan, an Ohio resident, told WBNS-10 TV that she signed the initiative and supports it.

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“Inflation is kind of bonkers these days. You have to be able to pay for groceries, pay for rent,” Evan said.

Black said that he supports the initiative for personal reasons.

“I know first-hand that it’s not enough money to support one-self living here in Columbus. It’s not feasible. It’s not enough for food, rent, living expenses,” Black said.

But some people are worried about the side effects of having a $15 minimum wage.

Jonathan Kipfer, a server, said he wishes he could support it, but is too worried about the prices of other tings also going up.

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“I feel as if increasing the minimum wage isn’t going to solve the problem we have of having to pay more for certain things such as an increase for food, gas prices, just about anything,” Kipfer said. “As much as I want to be paid more, I don’t want to pay more for the things that already cost a lot of money.”

One man said he thinks the higher minimum wage would take away the opportunity for some people to work.

“A minimum wage is not intended to be a living wage where you can support a family on. Those are typically meant for entry-level jobs,” said Brett, an Ohio resident. “It’s a complete gutting of companies.”

However, he believes the people of Ohio should get to decide what the minimum wage is.

“I believe it should be something that should be voted on. I don’t agree on a high mandate on a minimum wage, but I do think people should be able to vote on that,” he said.

The Ohio Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance was strongly against the initiative, saying it would hurt servers and bartenders.

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