Site Menu

Omaha, NE — Voters in Nebraska will soon decide whether to be the next state to pass a higher minimum wage. Initiative 433, a citizen-initiated proposal backed by the Fairness Project, would gradually raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. If the measure is passed, Nebraska will join nearly a dozen states that have achieved or are moving towards a $15 minimum wage.

“It’s infuriating and illogical that Congress hasn’t raised the federal minimum wage in 13 years, but ballot measures have repeatedly proven to be a path forward when politicians are deeply disconnected from the needs of working families. Nebraska families cannot afford to make ends meet under the current minimum wage, and so they’re taking matters into their own hands with this citizen-initiated ballot measure. We will be working with our partners in Nebraska until Election Day to ensure this measure passes and that workers in Nebraska get the raise they deserve,” said Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project.

Campaign Overview

  • The Raise the Wage Nebraska campaign is a citizen-initiated measure, meaning that the campaign did not require approval from the state legislature to appear on the ballot. The campaign submitted over 150,000 signatures, representing all 93 counties, to qualify for the election.
  • The campaign has been endorsed by hundreds of Nebraska business owners who support the wage increase because it will bring additional revenue to small businesses.
  • In addition to the Fairness Project, the coalition supporting the measure includes the ACLU of Nebraska, Nebraska State AFL-CIO, Nebraska Civic Engagement Table, NAACP Lincoln Branch and Nebraska Appleseed. 

Fast Facts

  • The last time Congress raised the federal minimum wage was 2009; it currently sits at $7.25 an hour. Nebraska is the second state, after Florida, to vote on a $15 minimum wage ballot measure.
  • Nebraska’s current minimum wage is $9 an hour, and 20 percent of the state’s workforce will benefit from Initiative 433.
  • More than a fifth of impacted workers are parents.
  • The Fairness Project has supported and won campaigns to increase the minimum wage in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Washington state, benefiting nearly 10 million workers.

Campaign Coverage

back to top