California voters narrowly reject $18 minimum wage; first such no-vote nationwide since 1996

California voters rejected a ballot measurement that would person raised the state's minimum wage to $18 per hour; the archetypal nonaccomplishment of specified an inaugural nationwide successful astir 30 years.

The tabulation came 2 weeks aft Election Day owed to the narrowing margin, arsenic 49.2% of Californians yet supported the wage hike, falling conscionable short.

The ballot was geographically disparate, with each Bay Area and coastal region but San Luis Obispo, Orange, Ventura and Del Norte supporting the measurement – and each inland region but Alpine and Imperial opposing it.

The existent minimum wage in California is $16 per hour, but includes a $20 per hr exclusion for fast-food restaurants with 60 oregon much locations. The second was instituted successful 2023 with the support of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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"Californians are sending Gavin Newsom and the SEIU a wide message: They're sick of being laboratory rats for their favored projects," Rebekah Paxton, probe manager for the Employment Policies Institute said successful a statement.

"Voters saw the devastating economical fallout of the $20 accelerated nutrient minimum wage law, and for the archetypal clip successful authorities history, voted against a statewide minimum wage hike." 

Newsom, however, antecedently defended his enactment for wage hikes, saying the fast-food wage summation gave workers a "greater dependable successful workplace standards."

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Newsom (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

"Predictably, this humble instrumentality prompted fainting spells from conservatives and their enablers successful the media," helium wrote successful a Fox News Opinion file earlier this fall.

"Even earlier I signed the bill, they rapidly said it would pb to devastating occupation cuts and origin scores of businesses to close."

"We judge successful fairness, equity and the thought that everyone deserves a accidental to succeed. And these results dispel the cynics who accidental we indispensable take betwixt protecting workers and increasing the economy."

California Chamber of Commerce CEO Jennifer Barrera appeared to disagree, telling the Associated Press aft the outlet called the tally for Proposition 32 that the system and idiosyncratic costs were apical of caput successful the election, and that that connection resonated with the voters.

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Millions of dollars were poured into enactment for the effort, according to CalMatters, which reported startup entrepreneur Joe Sanberg earmarked $10 cardinal portion spearheading the Proposition 32 effort. The outlet reported Democratic Los Angeles City Councilman and erstwhile authorities Senate President Kevin de Leon was a 2nd salient backer.

There person been astir 2 twelve minimum-wage-hike ballot initiatives since 1996; the past clip 1 failed.

In that election, Missourians declined to o.k. a hike to $6.75 and Montana decided against moving its minimum wage up to $6.25 per hour.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.